Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the association between Oral Health Literacy (OHL) and dental outcomes. A sample of 920 adults above 18 years of age living in areas covered by 10 Family Health Units (FHUs) in a large city in São Paulo state, Brazil, was included. OHL was assessed using the short-form Health Literacy in Dentistry Scale (HeLD-14). Data on sociodemographic factors, oral health, and general health were obtained through a structured questionnaire. The investigated outcomes "tooth loss" and "reason for the last dental appointment" were evaluated using self-reported data. Simple logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between each independent factor and outcomes. Factors that presented a significance level of ≤0.20 in the bivariate analysis were included in the hierarchical multiple logistic regression models. Participants with an education level up to high school, low OHL, and poor/fair self-rated oral health had 1.35 (95%CI, 1.01-1.80), 1.48 (95%CI, 1.12-1.95), and 1.46 (95%CI, 1.11-1.92) times more probability to report missing teeth, respectively. Adults from families with lower monthly income, low OHL, and poor/fair self-rated oral health had 1.70 (95%CI, 1.29-2.26), 1.89 (95%CI, 1.42-2.51), and 1.73 (95%CI, 1.30-2.30) times more chance, respectively, to have gone to the last dental appointment due to pain or caries. Adults with low OHL levels are more likely to have missing teeth and have gone to the last dental visit for pain, reinforcing the importance of OHL as an important determinant for promoting oral health.
Highlights
The field of Health Literacy (HL) has been increasingly examined by epidemiologists and clinical researchers because of its relevance to various health outcomes
This study aimed to investigate the association between Oral Health Literacy (OHL) and the dental outcomes “tooth loss” and “reason for the last dental appointment” in a sample of Brazilian users of primary healthcare services
Adults with low family income, low OHL, and worse self-rated oral health were 1.70, 1.89 (95%CI: 1.42-2.51), and 1.73 (95%CI: 1.30-2.30) times more likely to report pain or caries, respectively, as the reason for their last dental appointment compared to their counterparts (Table 2)
Summary
The field of Health Literacy (HL) has been increasingly examined by epidemiologists and clinical researchers because of its relevance to various health outcomes. Applied to the field of dentistry, the concept of Oral Health Literacy (OHL) has been identified as a key factor in reducing oral disparities and promoting oral health. OHL is part of a myriad of factors that affect an individual’s ability to make decisions regarding their oral health.[4,5] Studies have shown that individuals with low levels of OHL, present higher prevalence rates of oral conditions, such as dental caries, missing teeth, and periodontal disease, in addition to worse self-rated oral health, irregular attendance to dental appointments, poor oral healthrelated quality of life, and greater deleterious oral habits.[6,7,8,9,10,11,12] evidence from systematic reviews indicates inconclusive findings regarding these associations.[13,14,15]
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