Factors Related to Oral Health - Related Quality of Life among Elderly with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Nong Hong District, Buriram Province

Abstract

This cross - sectional analytical study aimed to explore personal factors, oral health behaviors, sense of coherence, oral health status and oral health - related to quality of life and to assess the factors associated with oral health - related quality of life among the elderly with diabetes mellitus type 2 in Nong Hong district, Buriram province. Data were collected from 270 samples using the questionnaires involving demographic data, oral health behaviors and sense of coherence. Oral health status was also recorded. Oral health - related quality of life was assessed using Thai Oral Health Impact Profile (Thai OHIP-14).

The reliability of the oral health behavior, sense of coherence and oral health - related to quality of life questionnaires were 0.73, 0.75, and 0.92, respectively. Kappa statistics for oral exaMination were equal to 0.98. Descriptive data of all variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Factors related to oral health - related to quality of life were analyzed using multiple logistic regression with statistical significance at 0.05. The results of the study revealed that the sample group had moderate level of oral health care and sense of coherence accounted for 69.26% and 64.07% respectively. The samples with 20 or more teeth were 71.48% (x ̅ = 21.54 teeth/person). There were 4 or more posterior occlusal pair 53.70% (x ̅ = 4.23 pairs/person). Those with the Eichner A were 53.33%. Approximately 77.4% had no tooth mobility. Caries experience was 9.79 teeth/person. Most samples (74.07%) had high level of oral health - related quality of life. When analyzing the relationship the factors that correlated with oral health - related to quality of life were the number of the permanent teeth in the mouth (p-value = 0.009), having tooth mobility (p-value = 0.013), and sense of coherence. (p-value = 0.036)