Social Relationships and Oral Health Among Adults Aged 60 Years or Older

Georgios Tsakos; Wael Sabbah; Tarani Chandola; Tim Newton; Ichiro Kawachi; Jun Aida; Aubrey Sheiham; Michael G. Marmot; Richard G. Watt

doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e31827d221b

Social Relationships and Oral Health Among Adults Aged 60 Years or Older

Georgios Tsakos^*, Wael Sabbah, Tarani Chandola, Tim Newton, Ichiro Kawachi, Jun Aida, Aubrey Sheiham, Michael G. Marmot, Richard G. Watt

^*Corresponding author for this work

Population & Patient Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

74 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed associations between social relationships and oral health outcomes and whether these associations were explained by demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors, and physical health.

Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004) data on 4014 adults aged 60 years or older. Oral health outcomes were edentulism, number of decayed teeth, root decay, number of sound or filled teeth, and self-rated oral health. Social relationships referred to social networks (marital status, number of close friends) and social support (emotional support need, provision of financial support). Analyses consisted of regression models sequentially adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and physical health confounders.

Results: In fully adjusted models, widowed or divorced/separated individuals had fewer sound or filled teeth than those married or living with a partner: rate ratio (95% confidence interval) = 0.89 (0.82 to 0.97) and 0.90 (0.83 to 0.97), respectively. People with four to six close friends had fewer decayed teeth and lower probability for root decay than those with fewer friends. Emotional support need was associated with 1.41 (1.05 to 1.90) higher odds for root decay and 1.18 (1.04 to 1.35) higher odds for poorer self-rated oral health. Lack of financial support was associated with more decayed teeth. Edentulism was not related to any social network and social support markers.

Conclusions: Social relationships are associated with clinical measures of current disease, markers of good oral function, and subjective oral health, but not with clinical measures of a lifetime history of oral disease among older Americans.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	178-186
Number of pages	9
Journal	Psychosomatic Medicine
Volume	75
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e31827d221b
Publication status	Published - Feb 2013

Keywords

psychosocial factors
social support
social networks
geriatric dentistry
gerontology
older adults
EXAMINATION SURVEY NHANES
MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS
QUALITY-ASSURANCE
NATIONAL-HEALTH
MARITAL-STATUS
DENTAL-CARIES
MORTALITY
SUPPORT
NETWORK
DISEASE

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10.1097/PSY.0b013e31827d221b

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@article{30a86c43226b4235840fbfcd73d4897d,

title = "Social Relationships and Oral Health Among Adults Aged 60 Years or Older",

abstract = "Objective: This study assessed associations between social relationships and oral health outcomes and whether these associations were explained by demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors, and physical health. Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004) data on 4014 adults aged 60 years or older. Oral health outcomes were edentulism, number of decayed teeth, root decay, number of sound or filled teeth, and self-rated oral health. Social relationships referred to social networks (marital status, number of close friends) and social support (emotional support need, provision of financial support). Analyses consisted of regression models sequentially adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and physical health confounders. Results: In fully adjusted models, widowed or divorced/separated individuals had fewer sound or filled teeth than those married or living with a partner: rate ratio (95% confidence interval) = 0.89 (0.82 to 0.97) and 0.90 (0.83 to 0.97), respectively. People with four to six close friends had fewer decayed teeth and lower probability for root decay than those with fewer friends. Emotional support need was associated with 1.41 (1.05 to 1.90) higher odds for root decay and 1.18 (1.04 to 1.35) higher odds for poorer self-rated oral health. Lack of financial support was associated with more decayed teeth. Edentulism was not related to any social network and social support markers. Conclusions: Social relationships are associated with clinical measures of current disease, markers of good oral function, and subjective oral health, but not with clinical measures of a lifetime history of oral disease among older Americans.",

keywords = "psychosocial factors, social support, social networks, geriatric dentistry, gerontology, older adults, EXAMINATION SURVEY NHANES, MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS, QUALITY-ASSURANCE, NATIONAL-HEALTH, MARITAL-STATUS, DENTAL-CARIES, MORTALITY, SUPPORT, NETWORK, DISEASE",

author = "Georgios Tsakos and Wael Sabbah and Tarani Chandola and Tim Newton and Ichiro Kawachi and Jun Aida and Aubrey Sheiham and Marmot, {Michael G.} and Watt, {Richard G.}",

year = "2013",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1097/PSY.0b013e31827d221b",

language = "English",

volume = "75",

pages = "178--186",

journal = "Psychosomatic Medicine",

publisher = "Lippincott Williams and Wilkins",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Social Relationships and Oral Health Among Adults Aged 60 Years or Older

AU - Tsakos, Georgios

AU - Sabbah, Wael

AU - Chandola, Tarani

AU - Newton, Tim

AU - Kawachi, Ichiro

AU - Aida, Jun

AU - Sheiham, Aubrey

AU - Marmot, Michael G.

AU - Watt, Richard G.

PY - 2013/2

Y1 - 2013/2

N2 - Objective: This study assessed associations between social relationships and oral health outcomes and whether these associations were explained by demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors, and physical health. Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004) data on 4014 adults aged 60 years or older. Oral health outcomes were edentulism, number of decayed teeth, root decay, number of sound or filled teeth, and self-rated oral health. Social relationships referred to social networks (marital status, number of close friends) and social support (emotional support need, provision of financial support). Analyses consisted of regression models sequentially adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and physical health confounders. Results: In fully adjusted models, widowed or divorced/separated individuals had fewer sound or filled teeth than those married or living with a partner: rate ratio (95% confidence interval) = 0.89 (0.82 to 0.97) and 0.90 (0.83 to 0.97), respectively. People with four to six close friends had fewer decayed teeth and lower probability for root decay than those with fewer friends. Emotional support need was associated with 1.41 (1.05 to 1.90) higher odds for root decay and 1.18 (1.04 to 1.35) higher odds for poorer self-rated oral health. Lack of financial support was associated with more decayed teeth. Edentulism was not related to any social network and social support markers. Conclusions: Social relationships are associated with clinical measures of current disease, markers of good oral function, and subjective oral health, but not with clinical measures of a lifetime history of oral disease among older Americans.

AB - Objective: This study assessed associations between social relationships and oral health outcomes and whether these associations were explained by demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors, and physical health. Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004) data on 4014 adults aged 60 years or older. Oral health outcomes were edentulism, number of decayed teeth, root decay, number of sound or filled teeth, and self-rated oral health. Social relationships referred to social networks (marital status, number of close friends) and social support (emotional support need, provision of financial support). Analyses consisted of regression models sequentially adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and physical health confounders. Results: In fully adjusted models, widowed or divorced/separated individuals had fewer sound or filled teeth than those married or living with a partner: rate ratio (95% confidence interval) = 0.89 (0.82 to 0.97) and 0.90 (0.83 to 0.97), respectively. People with four to six close friends had fewer decayed teeth and lower probability for root decay than those with fewer friends. Emotional support need was associated with 1.41 (1.05 to 1.90) higher odds for root decay and 1.18 (1.04 to 1.35) higher odds for poorer self-rated oral health. Lack of financial support was associated with more decayed teeth. Edentulism was not related to any social network and social support markers. Conclusions: Social relationships are associated with clinical measures of current disease, markers of good oral function, and subjective oral health, but not with clinical measures of a lifetime history of oral disease among older Americans.

KW - psychosocial factors

KW - social support

KW - social networks

KW - geriatric dentistry

KW - gerontology

KW - older adults

KW - EXAMINATION SURVEY NHANES

KW - MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

KW - QUALITY-ASSURANCE

KW - NATIONAL-HEALTH

KW - MARITAL-STATUS

KW - DENTAL-CARIES

KW - MORTALITY

KW - SUPPORT

KW - NETWORK

KW - DISEASE

U2 - 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31827d221b

DO - 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31827d221b

M3 - Article

C2 - 23324876

VL - 75

SP - 178

EP - 186

JO - Psychosomatic Medicine

JF - Psychosomatic Medicine

IS - 2

ER -

Social Relationships and Oral Health Among Adults Aged 60 Years or Older

Abstract

Keywords

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