Health Behaviors, Tooth Number, and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among Thai Older Adults

Abstract

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between health behaviors, tooth number, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older adults, which has received little attention in Thailand’s rural context. The probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique was used to sample 223 elderly people ages 60 years and older in all 11 villages of Muang Ngai Sub-district, Chiang Mai Province. The Thai version of the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was completed through a face-toface interview. Each participant’s permanent teeth were counted by trained staff (median = 20). About 61% had an OHIP-14 score of 0. Significant inverse correlation was observed between the number of remaining teeth and total OHIP-14 score (s = -0.137, p = 0.041). Multiple logistic regression results revealed that the presence of < 20 teeth was associated with brushing teeth twice a day (OR = 0.32, 95%CI = 0.14, 0.75), using an oral cleaning device (OR = 0.19, 95%CI = 0.08, 0.47), and current smoking (OR = 4.88, 95%CI = 1.40, 17.09) when adjusted for age and denture use. Predictors such as eating sweet foods more than once a week (OR = 1.90, 95%CI = 1.05, 3.44), drinking 8 glasses of water a day (OR = 0.45, 95%CI = 0.25, 0.83), and regular alcohol intake (OR = 7.55, 95%CI = 1.89, 30.12) were significantly associated with poorer OHRQoL when controlling for dentures. The findings emphasize the importance of good health behaviors including oral hygiene, dietary habits, and general health habits in preventing tooth loss and enhancing OHRQOL among Thai rural elderly.