Social inequality in oral health-related quality-of-life, OHRQoL, at early older age: Evidence from a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Objectives. This study aimed to assess the long-term effect of socio-behavioral characteristics on oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) at age 65 and the influence on OIDP at age 65 of changes in socio-behavioral characteristics between age 50 and 65. Methods. In 1992, all 50-year-olds in two counties of Sweden were invited to participate in a longitudinal survey. A total of 6346 responded and, of those, 4143 completed follow-ups at ages 55, 60 and 65 years. Results. At age 65, 26.9% had oral impacts. Subjects being immigrants, being unmarried, reporting economic barriers, bad general health, bad quality dental care, less than annual dental attendance, limited social network and smoking at age 50 experienced oral impacts at age 65 more frequently than their counterparts in the opposite groups. Compared to the stable advantaged groups, stable disadvantaged groups regarding marital status, health status, smoking and reported quality of care had increased ORs for oral impacts. Compared to the stable advantaged groups, those who experienced deterioration with respect to health status, dental attendance and quality of oral health care and those who quitted smoking had increased ORs for oral impacts. Conclusions. Disadvantaged socio-behavioral condition at age 50 had a long lasting detrimental effect on OHRQoL at age 65. Deterioration in socio-behavioral circumstances was associated with increased oral impacts. Early protection against the effect of socio-behavioral adversity by imposing economic barriers, ensure provision of high quality care and by promotion of healthy lifestyles seems to have the potential to reduce oral impacts at older ages.