Oral Health Literacy and its Determinants in Young Couples
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Abstract
Objectives: Oral health literacy (OHL) is an interplay of cultural, social and individual factors and plays an effective role in public health promotion. This study aimed to assess OHL and its socioeconomic and demographic determinants among young couples.
Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 828 adults between 15 to 35 years in 2018 in Zanjan city. Data regarding their OHL were collected by using a 17-item Oral Health Literacy-Adult Questionnaire (OHL-AQ) that was filled out by a combination of self-report and interview. OHL was categorized as adequate, marginal, and inadequate. The effects of age and gender as demographic variables, and floor area per person as a proxy of financial status on OHL were also assessed. Data were analyzed using the linear and multinomial logistic regression models.
Results: The mean OHL score was 7.86±3.83 out of 17 in equal number of males and females. Only 21% of the couples had adequate OHL. The socioeconomic, but not demographic variables had significant correlations with the qualitative and quantitative variables of OHL even after controlling for the effect of confounders. A correlation was particularly found between inadequate OHL and years of education [odds ratio:6.00; 95% CI: 3.86-9.28); P<0.001].
Conclusion: Socioeconomic factors had independent correlations with inadequate OHL. Participants with higher levels of education, those living in urban areas, and individuals with better financial status had higher levels of OHL and lower odds of inadequate OHL.
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14. Batista MJ, Lawrence HP, Sousa MDLR. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil. BMC Public Health. 2017 Jul 26;18(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4443-0. Erratum in: BMC Public Health. 2017 Sep 22;17 (1):736. Erratum in: BMC Public Health. 2017 Oct 18;17 (1):821.
15. Naing L, Winn TB, Rusli BN. Practical issues in calculating the sample size for prevalence studies. Arch Orofac Sci. 2006;1:9-14.
16. Naghibi Sistani MM, Montazeri A, Yazdani R, Murtomaa H. New oral health literacy instrument for public health: development and pilot testing. J Investig Clin Dent. 2014 Nov;5(4):313-21.
17. Donyavi T, Naieni KH, Nedjat S, Vahdaninia M, Najafi M, Montazeri A. Socioeconomic status and mortality after acute myocardial infarction: a study from Iran. Int J Equity Health. 2011 Feb 7;10:9.
18. Haerian A, Moemen A, Asgari S, Vaziri F. Health literacy in periodontal patients. J Community Health Res. 2013; 2(1):15-21.
19. Xie Y, Ma M, Zhang Y, Tan X. Factors associated with health literacy in rural areas of Central China: structural equation model. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019 May 10;19(1):300.
20. Lastrucci V, Lorini C, Caini S; Florence Health Literacy Research Group; Bonaccorsi G. Health literacy as a mediator of the relationship between socioeconomic status and health: A cross-sectional study in a population-based sample in Florence. PLoS One. 2019 Dec 23;14(12): e0227007.
21. Sgan-Cohen HD, Evans RW, Whelton H, Villena RS, MacDougall M, Williams DM; IADR-GOHIRA Steering and Task Groups. IADR Global Oral Health Inequalities Research Agenda (IADR-GOHIRA(R)): a call to action. J Dent Res. 2013 Mar;92(3):209-11.
22. Tiwari T, Jamieson L, Broughton J, Lawrence HP, Batliner TS, Arantes R, et al. Reducing Indigenous Oral Health Inequalities: A Review from 5 Nations. J Dent Res. 2018 Jul;97(8):869-877.
23. Soofi M, Pasdar Y, Karami Matin B, Hamzeh B, Rezaei S, Kazemi Karyani A, et al. Socioeconomic-related inequalities in oral hygiene behaviors: a cross-sectional analysis of the PERSIAN cohort study. BMC Oral Health. 2020 Feb 28;20(1):63.
24. Parker EJ, Jamieson LM. Associations between indigenous Australian oral health literacy and self-reported oral health outcomes. BMC Oral Health. 2010 Mar 26;10:3.
25. Marks JR, Schectman JM, Groninger H, Plews-Ogan ML. The association of health literacy and socio-demographic factors with medication knowledge. Patient Educ Couns. 2010 Mar;78(3):372-6.
26. Rikard RV, Thompson MS, McKinney J, Beauchamp A. Examining health literacy disparities in the United States: a third look at the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). BMC Public Health. 2016 Sep 13;16(1):975.
27. Cho M, Lee YM, Lim SJ, Lee H. Factors Associated with the Health Literacy on Social Determinants of Health: A Focus on Socioeconomic Position and Work Environment. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 13;17(18):6663.
28. Firmino RT, Fraiz FC, Montes GR, Paiva SM, Granville-Garcia AF, Ferreira FM. Impact of oral health literacy on self-reported missing data in epidemiological research. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2018 Dec;46(6):624-630.
2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Roundtable on Health Literacy. Integrating Oral and General Health Through Health Literacy Practices: Proceedings of a Workshop. Wojtowicz A, Olson S, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2019 Jul 31.
3. Hewitt RM. Oral health literacy workshop summary. Washington DC: The Institute of Medicine, National Academies Press;2013.
4. Paasche-Orlow MK, Wolf MS. The causal pathways linking health literacy to health outcomes. Am J Health Behav. 2007 Sep-Oct;31 Suppl 1:S19-26.
5. Horowitz AM, Kleinman DV. Oral health literacy: the new imperative to better oral health. Dent Clin North Am. 2008 Apr;52(2):333-44, vi.
6. Scott TL, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Baker DW. Health literacy and preventive health care use among Medicare enrollees in a managed care organization. Med Care. 2002 May;40(5):395-404.
7. Cho YI, Lee SY, Arozullah AM, Crittenden KS. Effects of health literacy on health status and health service utilization amongst the elderly. Soc Sci Med. 2008 Apr;66(8):1809-16.
8. Svendsen MT, Bak CK, Sørensen K, Pelikan J, Riddersholm SJ, Skals RK, et al. Associations of health literacy with socioeconomic position, health risk behavior, and health status: a large national population-based survey among Danish adults. BMC Public Health. 2020 Apr 28;20(1):565.
9. Stormacq C, Van den Broucke S, Wosinski J. Does health literacy mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status and health disparities? Integrative review. Health Promot Int. 2019 Oct 1;34(5): e1-e17.
10. Sistani MM, Yazdani R, Virtanen J, Pakdaman A, Murtomaa H. Oral health literacy and information sources among adults in Tehran, Iran. Community Dent Health. 2013 Sep;30(3):178-82.
11. Mohammadi TM, Malekmohammadi M, Hajizamani HR, Mahani SA. Oral health literacy and its determinants among adults in Southeast Iran. Eur J Dent. 2018 Jul-Sep;12(3):439-442.
12. World Health Organization. Regional Office for South-East Asia. Family as centre of health development: Report of the regional meeting, Bangkok, Thailand, 18-20 March 2013. WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/205062/ Accessed 6, 2023
13. US Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health. Oral health in America: A report of the Surgeon General. 2000. Available at: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/surgeon-general
14. Batista MJ, Lawrence HP, Sousa MDLR. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil. BMC Public Health. 2017 Jul 26;18(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4443-0. Erratum in: BMC Public Health. 2017 Sep 22;17 (1):736. Erratum in: BMC Public Health. 2017 Oct 18;17 (1):821.
15. Naing L, Winn TB, Rusli BN. Practical issues in calculating the sample size for prevalence studies. Arch Orofac Sci. 2006;1:9-14.
16. Naghibi Sistani MM, Montazeri A, Yazdani R, Murtomaa H. New oral health literacy instrument for public health: development and pilot testing. J Investig Clin Dent. 2014 Nov;5(4):313-21.
17. Donyavi T, Naieni KH, Nedjat S, Vahdaninia M, Najafi M, Montazeri A. Socioeconomic status and mortality after acute myocardial infarction: a study from Iran. Int J Equity Health. 2011 Feb 7;10:9.
18. Haerian A, Moemen A, Asgari S, Vaziri F. Health literacy in periodontal patients. J Community Health Res. 2013; 2(1):15-21.
19. Xie Y, Ma M, Zhang Y, Tan X. Factors associated with health literacy in rural areas of Central China: structural equation model. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019 May 10;19(1):300.
20. Lastrucci V, Lorini C, Caini S; Florence Health Literacy Research Group; Bonaccorsi G. Health literacy as a mediator of the relationship between socioeconomic status and health: A cross-sectional study in a population-based sample in Florence. PLoS One. 2019 Dec 23;14(12): e0227007.
21. Sgan-Cohen HD, Evans RW, Whelton H, Villena RS, MacDougall M, Williams DM; IADR-GOHIRA Steering and Task Groups. IADR Global Oral Health Inequalities Research Agenda (IADR-GOHIRA(R)): a call to action. J Dent Res. 2013 Mar;92(3):209-11.
22. Tiwari T, Jamieson L, Broughton J, Lawrence HP, Batliner TS, Arantes R, et al. Reducing Indigenous Oral Health Inequalities: A Review from 5 Nations. J Dent Res. 2018 Jul;97(8):869-877.
23. Soofi M, Pasdar Y, Karami Matin B, Hamzeh B, Rezaei S, Kazemi Karyani A, et al. Socioeconomic-related inequalities in oral hygiene behaviors: a cross-sectional analysis of the PERSIAN cohort study. BMC Oral Health. 2020 Feb 28;20(1):63.
24. Parker EJ, Jamieson LM. Associations between indigenous Australian oral health literacy and self-reported oral health outcomes. BMC Oral Health. 2010 Mar 26;10:3.
25. Marks JR, Schectman JM, Groninger H, Plews-Ogan ML. The association of health literacy and socio-demographic factors with medication knowledge. Patient Educ Couns. 2010 Mar;78(3):372-6.
26. Rikard RV, Thompson MS, McKinney J, Beauchamp A. Examining health literacy disparities in the United States: a third look at the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). BMC Public Health. 2016 Sep 13;16(1):975.
27. Cho M, Lee YM, Lim SJ, Lee H. Factors Associated with the Health Literacy on Social Determinants of Health: A Focus on Socioeconomic Position and Work Environment. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 13;17(18):6663.
28. Firmino RT, Fraiz FC, Montes GR, Paiva SM, Granville-Garcia AF, Ferreira FM. Impact of oral health literacy on self-reported missing data in epidemiological research. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2018 Dec;46(6):624-630.
| Issue | Vol 20 (Continuously Published Article-Based) | |
| Section | Original Article | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/fid.v20i27.13345 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Health Literacy Demography Socioeconomic Factors Young Adult | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Fazli M, Yazdani R, Mohebbi SZ, Shamshiri AR. Oral Health Literacy and its Determinants in Young Couples. Front Dent. 2023;20.
