Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
What Is Health Literacy Among Orthognathic Surgery Patients?
Timothy M Weber1, Smit Sinojia2, Connie Shao3
1Resident-in-Training, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, Birmingham, AL.
Background:
Health literacy of orthognathic surgery patients has not been thoroughly evaluated.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to estimate health literacy and identify risk factors associated with inadequate health literacy in orthognathic surgery patients.
Study Design, Setting, Sample:
A cross-sectional study was implemented utilizing patients ages 14-80 years who presented for orthognathic surgery evaluation between September 2021 and December 2022. Subjects were excluded from the study if they did not complete the orthognathic surgery evaluation, were not between the ages of 14-80 years old, or did not complete the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BRIEF) questionnaire during intake. Subjects who have not undergone orthognathic surgery but completed the initial evaluation for orthognathic surgery were included in the study.
Predictor Variables:
The predictor variables were a set of risk factors for inadequate health literacy: age, sex, primary language, race, estimated household income, and diagnosis.
Main Outcome Variable:
The main outcome variable was health literacy assessed using the BRIEF questionnaire. During intake, subjects completed the BRIEF questionnaire consisting of four questions scored on an ordinal scale of 1-5. Inadequate health literacy was defined as a BRIEF score ≤16.
Covariates:
Not applicable.
Analyses:
Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. P < .05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
Of 150 patients presenting for orthognathic surgery, fifteen percent of patients had inadequate health literacy via the BRIEF test. The mean age of those with adequate health literacy was 27.9 years (standard deviation, ±12.5) compared to 18.5 years (standard deviation, ±5.7) for those with inadequate health literacy (P = <.001). After adjusting for sex, language, race, estimated household income, and diagnosis via multivariate analysis, increasing age was associated with decreased odds of inadequate health literacy (adjusted odds ratio = 0.81; confidence interval, 0.72-0.92; P = <.001).
Conclusion And Relevance:
In the complex process of orthognathic surgery, it is essential to identify patients with inadequate health literacy that may require additional health literacy interventions. Ultimately, 15% of orthognathic surgery subjects had inadequate health literacy, and younger patients were the most susceptible as the odds of inadequate health literacy decreased with increasing age.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Health Literacy
01:26Enteral Nutrition I: Orogastric and Nasogastric Feeding
Orogastric (OG) and nasogastric (NG) feeding are two standard methods used for enteral nutrition. Enteral nutrition is often preferred over...
01:26Tonsillitis II: Management
01:26Endoscopic Procedures IV: Sigmoidoscopy and Laproscopy
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...
01:25Role of Communication in the Nursing Process II: Planning and Implementation
01:23Chronic Pharyngitis
Etiology
It often arises from persistent viral or bacterial infections affecting sinuses and tonsils.
Additional contributing factors include inadequate dental hygiene, mouth breathing, recurring tonsillitis, allergic rhinitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and exposure to smoke, chemicals, and other environmental pollutants. Allergic reactions to pollen, mold, and pet dander, chronic cough, excessive voice usage,...