Association between Social Participation and Remaining Teeth and Urban–Rural Difference among Older Adults in China

Abstract

Oral health is an important part of older adults’ general health. The study examined the association between social participation (formal and informal) and remaining teeth and the urban–rural difference based on a national survey of older adults in China. The data of older adults were extracted from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and analyzed. A total of 11,948 respondents were ultimately involved, including 6836 urban respondents and 5112 rural respondents. Informal social participation and formal social participation were used to assess social participation. The number of remaining natural teeth was measured. Social participation was significantly associated with remaining teeth among older adults, after adjusting for confounders, a one-level increase in the informal social participation was associated with a decrease in natural teeth by 0.152 (95% CI = −0.274; −0.030) and a one-level increase in the formal social participation was associated with a decrease in natural teeth by 0.370 (95% CI = −0.585; −0.156). In addition, the association between social participation (formal and informal) and remaining teeth was observed among urban older adults, but not rural older adults. A high level of social participation may effectively decrease the risk of oral-health problems for the Chinese older adults. The findings suggest recommendations for an older adults-targeted policy and the practice of oral-health promotion. However, the urban–rural difference should be taken into full consideration in social-participation-driven oral-health promotion interventions.

Social participation, subjective well-being, and cognitive function as serial mediators between tooth loss and functional limitations in older Chinese adults.

“…Specifically, those with significant tooth loss were observed to have a reduced social participation level, which in turn was associated with increased functional limitations. Another study utilizing data from CLHLS similarly indicated that social participation had a significant relationship with the number of remaining teeth [39]. However, in this study's hypothesis, social participation was considered the cause, and tooth loss was viewed as the outcome.…”

Social participation and tooth loss, vision, and hearing impairments among older Brazilian adults

“…19 A study in China showed that social participation was positively associated with the self-reported number of teeth, after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, sleep duration, physical functioning, comorbidities, and cognitive function. 20 Longitudinal studies from other countries with aging populations would be valuable to confirm these preliminary findings. Brazil has one of the largest aging populations in the world, with a quarter of its population aged 50 or more years (equivalent to 54 million people) and 30 million Brazilians aged 60 or more years.…”

“…The magnitude of impairment was largest in vision, followed by tooth and hearing loss 19 . A study in China showed that social participation was positively associated with the self‐reported number of teeth, after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, sleep duration, physical functioning, comorbidities, and cognitive function 20 . Longitudinal studies from other countries with aging populations would be valuable to confirm these preliminary findings.…”