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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Self-Reported Sensory and Dental Impairments in Chilean Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Prevalence and Associated
Agnieszka Bozanic1, Javier Hurtado-Oliva2, Francesc Formiga3
1Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile.
Aim:
To estimate the prevalence of self-reported visual, hearing, and dental impairments in Chilean older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), assess the association between T2DM and these conditions, and explore their common predictors.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study conducted between 2017 and 2019 with 358 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and older in six Chilean cities. Sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle variables were collected through structured interviews. Logistic regression models were used to examine associations and identify predictors.
Results:
Individuals with T2DM reported significantly higher prevalence of visual (81%), hearing (32%), and dental (68%) impairments compared to those without T2DM (p<0.001). T2DM was significantly associated with all three impairments: visual (OR= 5.8), hearing (OR= 3.4), and dental (OR= 4.8). Duration of T2DM ≥11 years and presence of dyslipidemia were common predictors.
Conclusions:
These findings highlight the need to integrate sensory and dental health screening and management in primary care for older adults with T2DM in Latin America, especially in underserved community settings.
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