Health Literacy Associations with Periodontal Disease among Slovak Adults

Abstract

Periodontal disease is inflammation of the gums and without good oral hygiene, it can progress to periodontitis. Oral hygiene might be related to a patient’s health literacy (HL), defined as ability to gain access, understand, and use information to promote and maintain good health. The aim of our study is to examine the associations of HL with indicators of periodontal disease. A cross-sectional study on 1117 adults (36.2% males; mean age = 36.4, SD = 14.2) attending dental hygiene treatment was conducted. Data on demographics, socioeconomic status, and nine domains of HL (Health Literacy Questionnaire, HLQ) were collected by questionnaire, and Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) was established by the dental hygienist. Data were analysed using t-tests and logistic regression. Respondents with periodontal disease (N = 152) had statistically significantly lower levels of HL in seven out of nine HLQ domains compared to intact patients (N = 818) (t from 3.03 to 4.75, p < 0.01). Association of higher HL in seven domains with lower chance of diagnosed periodontal disease remain significant even after adjustment for age, gender and educational attainment (adjusted ORs 0.55–0.67, p < 0.05). Our findings confirm that an individual’s lower HL is significantly associated with higher chance of periodontal disease incidence, specifically among Slovak adults attending oral hygiene clinics. HL might be a promising factor in the improvement of oral health in this population, worthy of consideration in intervention and preventive activities.

Health literacy and self-efficacy associations with non-adherence to dental treatment among young adults

“…13 Researchers who utilized HL instruments in the dental field generally applied instruments that measure only the functional aspects of HL, such as S-TOFHLA, TOFHLA, REALM, NVS, or some single screening questions, 30,31 but very few investigated dental outcomes using a more comprehensive instrument. [32][33][34] The group of young adults who did not adhere to the dental treatment had lower levels of general HL in eight scales of the HLQ-Br when compared to the non-adherence group. The domain with the highest OR was "Feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers" (adjusted OR = 3.30), followed by "Having sufficient information to manage one's health" (adjusted OR = 3.05).…”

Health literacy dimensions among public health service users with chronic diseases in Piracicaba, Brazil, 2019

“…The presence of a periodontal pocket was associated with a low critical HL. Oral hygiene is associated with HL and with the risk of developing periodontal disease 38 , which can lead to tooth loss.…”

Organisering af parodontal diagnostik og behandling i de nordiske lande

“…De mest marginaliserede patienter, som samtidig har det største behandlingsbehov, har både flere udfordringer med at søge behandling og med at følge den regelmaessigt, og de får derfor heller ikke det fulde udbytte af behandlingen. Parodontalbehandling i tandlaegestolen kan derfor ikke stå alene, men må understøttes af sundhedsfremmende strategier, der inddrager de overordnede (politiske, juridiske, kulturelle) forhold, der har betydning for udvikling af parodontitis (34,35). De nordiske velfaerdsstaters tandplejesystemer, hvor forskellige sektorer tager sig af patienter med saerlige behov, kan formentlig bedre håndtere befolkningens behov end systemer, der baserer sig på personlige sundhedsforsikringer, selv om der kan vaere risiko for, at nogle patienter falder ud af systemet, når de flytter fra én sektor til en anden (2,36).…”