Oral Health Matters- Tooth Problem and its Treatment-seeking Behaviour Among Older Adults in India

Abstract

Background: Growing untreated morbidities among the older adults on geriatric issues especially an optimal dental treatment has become an unfinished agenda and a long-neglected area for care and management in many low and middle-income countries. There is a continuous rise in the older population in India and at the same time, the rising of co-morbidities or multi-morbidities in the aging population creates catastrophic challenges at the individuals, household, community, and country levels, and therefore, it is important to address dental health problems and related issues in the aged population in India. The study aims to understand the prevalence of dental health problems and their health-seeking behaviour among older adults in India. Further, the study determines the factors associated with low access and under-coverage of dental health care services among the elderly populations in IndiaMethods: The present research used data from Building a Knowledge Base on Population Aging in India (BKPAI) which was a national level survey and was conducted in 2011, across seven states of India. The effective sample size of this study was 9541 older adults aged 60+ years. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used to fulfill the study objectives. Additionally, the study employed the Heckprobit selection model which is a two-equation model to understand the determinants of dental health problems.Results: Older adults in the age group of 70-79 years (36.9%) and 80+ years (51.9%) reported higher dental problems compared to 60-69 years (19.9%), older women reported more dental problems (29.2%) and also used more dental aids (12.6%) compared to older men. Older adults in the age group 70-79 and 80+ years were 0.15 times and 0.40 times less likely to use dental aids respectively, as compared to 60-69 years older adults. Moreover, older women were 0.28 times more likely to use dental aids than older men. Education and wealth of older adults have a negative relationship with dental problems.Conclusion: This study clearly emphasized that awareness of smoking-related health problems should be promoted vigorously. Further, a holistic approach is needed to prevent dental diseases that occur because of other co-morbidities. For that, integration of the oral health program with programs dealing with morbidities can act as a solution to the existing problem.

Socio-economic inequality in the prevalence of violence against older adults – findings from India

“…The predictor variables were included after doing extensive literature review: Age in years (60–69, 70–79 and 80+) [ 28 , 29 ]. Sex (men and women) [ 28 , 29 ]. Education (none, below 5 years, 6–10 years and 11+ years) [ 28 , 29 ].…”

“… Sex (men and women) [ 28 , 29 ]. Education (none, below 5 years, 6–10 years and 11+ years) [ 28 , 29 ]. Marital status (not in union and currently in union) [ 28 – 30 ].…”

“… Education (none, below 5 years, 6–10 years and 11+ years) [ 28 , 29 ]. Marital status (not in union and currently in union) [ 28 – 30 ]. Living arrangement (alone, with spouse, with children and others “includes other family members/relatives”) [ 29 ].…”

“… Living arrangement (alone, with spouse, with children and others “includes other family members/relatives”) [ 29 ]. Working status (no and yes) [ 28 – 31 ]. Contributed money to household expenditure (no income, yes and no) [ 29 ].…”

“… Contributed money to household expenditure (no income, yes and no) [ 29 ]. Wealth (poorest, poorer, middle, richer and richest) [ 28 – 33 ]. The wealth index was based on the following 30 assets and housing characteristics: household electrification; drinking water source; house ownership; type of toilet facility; type of house; ownership of a bank or post-office account; cooking fuel; and ownership of a mattress, a pressure cooker, a cot/bed, a table, a chair, an electric fan, a radio/transistor, a black and white television, a colour television, a mobile telephone, any landline phone, a sewing machine, a computer, internet facility; a refrigerator, a watch or clock, a bicycle, a motorcycle or scooter, an animal-drawn cart, a car, a water pump, a thresher and a tractor [ 28 – 31 ].…”