Factors associated with self-assessed oral health in the Japanese independent elderly

The purpose of this research was to analyse the relationship between oral health status, oral motor function, daily life situations and self-assessed oral health.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 190 independent elderly volunteers aged 62-99 years from senior citizen centres in Tokyo, Japan. A questionnaire survey and oral examination were conducted on each participant. For the descriptive analyses, Independent t-test and the chi-squared test were used. Following that, using four latent variables, (oral health, oral function, daily life situations and chronic health condition), a structural equation modelling analysis (SEMA) was undertaken.

In the descriptive analyses, there were no significant differences between self-assessed oral health and oral health status. However, there were significant differences between self-assessed oral health and oral function and daily life situations. Findings from SEMA revealed that daily life situations and oral function have independent effects on self-assessed oral health and that the relationship between self-assessed oral health and oral health status was weak.

Many factors affect self-assessed oral health status. Dental clinicians and researchers should attempt to understand these factors and incorporate them into effective personal and population-based oral health education and oral health promotion programmes.