Predictors of oral health behaviors among elderly Japanese Americans

As part of a series of studies on oral health behaviors of older persons, 81 elderly Japanese Americans were interviewed regarding their dental service utilization patterns, oral health attitudes, and dental status. The sample consisted of 35 Issei (first generation) and 46 Nisei (second generation) Japanese Americans. Because of the significant age difference between the Issei and Nisei, it was difficult to examine generational differences between the two groups. When age differences were controlled, there was no difference between the two generations in interval since their last dental visit. However, reasons for dental visits differed between the two groups, with the Issei more likely to seek help with dentures or general restorative work while the Nisei were more likely to schedule appointments for dental check-ups and cleaning. The best predictors of dental service utilization for the entire sample were the use of complete dentures, age, and education (R2 = .38), but when the respondent's perceived importance of oral health was entered into the equation, this variable accounted for more variance than age or education. The combination of complete dentures, importance, and age accounted for 41% of the variance in recency of dental service utilization. Locus of control, the belief component of attitudes, and overall attitude scores did not add significantly to the prediction of dental utilization.