Factors Related to Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Older People in Namon District, Kalasin Province

Abstract

Oral health-related quality of life is linked between oral health and quality of life, not just merely the absence of oral disease. This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to assess the level of oral health-related Quality of life (OHRQoL) and examine the association between access to dental services among 178 older people in Namon District, Kalasin Province. Data were collected using structural questionnaires involving demographic data, oral health status, access to dental services, and OHRQoL measured by the Oral health Impact profile (OHIP-14). Cronbach's Alpha for the dental service access scale was 0.96. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to explore associations, and results were reported as adjusted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals and p-values.

The findings indicated that 81.46% (95% CI: 74.96 to 86.88) of participants reported a high level of OHRQoL. After adjustment for all variables in the model, three factors were found to be significantly associated with OHRQoL: the number of posterior occluding pairs, accommodation (domain 3) healthcare convenience and facilities and service quality acceptability acceptability (domain 5) (p-value <0.05). Participants who reported high levels of accommodation had significantly lower OHRQoL impact scores compared to those with moderate levels (Adjusted mean difference = -3.19, 95% CI: -5.49 to -0.88, p-value = 0.007). Likewise, those with high acceptability reported lower impact scores than those with moderate levels (Adjusted mean difference = -3.98, 95% CI: -7.61 to -0.35, p-value = 0.032). These results suggest that improving the accessibility and quality of dental services may enhance OHRQoL among the older people. Efforts should be made to ensure age-friendly service environments that support better oral health outcomes in older people.