Relationship between Sense of Coherence and oral health in adults and elderly Brazilians

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Sense of Coherence (SOC) and oral health clinical variables (number of teeth present and absence of need for dental prostheses). The sample consisted of 720 adults and elderly Brazilians. The data were collected at home using the SOC-13 scale -a form of clinical examination for the evaluation of oral conditions -and a questionnaire evaluating socioeconomic aspects and the use of dental services. Statistical analysis, both univariate and multivariate, was performed by Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment. The average age of the participants was 60.2 years, and they were predominantly female (57.8%). Among the participants who had a strong SOC, the absence of the need for dental prostheses was 34% higher than among those with a weak SOC, demonstrating a significant difference between the groups (PR = 1.34, 95%CI = 1.06-1.70; p = 0.015). Individuals who had a strong SOC had a 5% higher prevalence of 14 or more existing teeth than those with a weak SOC, which was statistically significant after adjustment for co-factors (PR = 1.05, 95%CI = 1.01-1.11, p = 0.033). A strong personal Sense of Coherence has a beneficial influence on the oral health of adults and older people in Brazil.

Sense of coherence and oral health in older adults in Southern Brazil

“…A lower mean SOC score was found for individuals with one or more teeth in the oral cavity compared to those individuals with no teeth, which differs from data described in the literature . However, the association with number of teeth in oral cavity should be interpreted with caution.…”

“…Studies conducted with older adults in Brazil as well as other age groups in Brazil and Finland found no associations between socio‐demographic factors and SOC. However, an association was found in the present study between self‐reported non‐white skin colour and SOC, as non‐white older adults had lower mean SOC scores when compared to self‐reported white older adults.…”

“…A lower mean SOC score was found for individuals with one or more teeth in the oral cavity compared to those individuals with no teeth, which differs from data described in the literature. 13,14 However, the association with number of teeth in oral cavity should be interpreted with caution. This could have occurred as a result of higher levels of pain and discomfort in individuals with more teeth, resulting in less favourable oral health in comparison with individuals with no teeth.…”

The Association between Sense of Coherence and Dental Caries in Low Social Status Schoolchildren

“…In elderly and adult populations, SOC was identified as a psychosocial determinant of oral health-related quality of life [Savolainen et al, 2005a;Boman et al, 2012;Machado et al, 2017], oral health-related behaviors, attitudes towards oral health, knowledge of dental caries [Savolainen et al, 2005b;Bernabé et al, 2009;Lindmark et al, 2011;Elyasi et al, 2015], and dental clinical status [Bernabé et al, 2010[Bernabé et al, , 2012Gupta et al, 2015;Davoglio et al, 2016;Possebon et al, 2017]. Other studies have shown a positive prospective relationship between strong SOC and better oral health-related quality of life among adolescents [Baker et al, 2010;Pakpour et al, 2018].…”

Sense of Coherence mediates the association between temporomandibular disorders and quality of life

“…It embraces the recognition of health as the result of the adaptive capacity and resilience of the human being to stress, and implies life satisfaction and psychological well‐being despite adverse conditions (Antonovsky, ). This theoretical model also seeks to understand how individuals can manage their life (Eriksson & Lindström, ), which makes SOC a useful instrument to investigate general quality of life (QoL) in adults (Davoglio et al, ; Possebon, Martins, Danigno, Langlois, & Silva, ) and elders (Machado, Perroni, Nascimento, Goettems, & Boscato, ; Nilsson & Ekberg, ; Sipilä, Ylöstalo, Könönen, Uutela, & Knuuttila, ). Despite its widespread use in the medical and social sciences, there is scarce evidence on how SOC influences the perception and impact of oral conditions on general and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) (Nilsson & Ekberg, ; Sipilä et al, ).…”