Oral health literacy and its determinants among adults in Southeast Iran

ABSTRACT

Objective: The present study aimed to assess oral health literacy level and its related factors among adult patients visiting Kerman Dental School. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Kerman Dental School clinic, among the first-time adult visitors. Individuals were selected randomly from volunteers who signed study consent forms. Background information and oral health literacy levels were acquired through the oral health literacy-adult questionnaire. Statistical analysis including the Chi-square test and independent t-test served for statistical evaluation of the study data. Results: Participants were 264 adults which consisted of 72.3% women and the mean age of 37 ± 8 years old. The mean oral health literacy score was 12.07 (out of 17), and 62.5% of the participants had an adequate oral health literacy level. There was a significant relationship between oral health literacy scores with gender, high level of education, and oral health behavior. Conclusion: The study participants had a good level of oral health literacy which can be correlated with their educational status and oral health information sources. An oral health educational program for less educated people is recommended.

Key words:

Health literacy - Iran - oral health

• REFERENCES

• 1 Kanj M, Mitic W. Health Literacy and Health Promotion. 7th Global Conference on Health Promotion ''Promoting Health and Development: Closing the Implementation Gap. Nairobi, Kenya: 2009
• 2 Sector UE. The Plurality of Literacy and Its Implications for Policies and Programs: Position Paper. Paris: United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; 2004: 13
• 3 Parker RM, Baker DW, Williams MV, Nurss JR. The test of functional health literacy in adults: A new instrument for measuring patients' literacy skills. J Gen Intern Med 1995; 10: 537-41
• 4 Mårtensson L, Hensing G. Health literacy – A heterogeneous phenomenon: A literature review. Scand J Caring Sci 2012; 26: 151-60
• 5 Wolf MS, Davis TC, Tilson HH, Bass 3rd PF, Parker RM. Misunderstanding of prescription drug warning labels among patients with low literacy. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2006; 63: 1048-55
• 6 Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2020. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services. 2011
• 7 National Institutes of Health. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. 2000
• 8 Wehmeyer MM, Corwin CL, Guthmiller JM, Lee JY. The impact of oral health literacy on periodontal health status. J Public Health Dent 2014; 74: 80-7
• 9 Atchison KA, Gironda MW, Messadi D, Der-Martirosian C. Screening for oral health literacy in an urban dental clinic. J Public Health Dent 2010; 70: 269-75
• 10 Jones M, Lee JY, Rozier RG. Oral health literacy among adult patients seeking dental care. J Am Dent Assoc 2007; 138: 1199-208
• 11 Lee JY, Divaris K, Baker AD, Rozier RG, Lee SY, Vann Jr. WF. et al. Oral health literacy levels among a low-income WIC population. J Public Health Dent 2011; 71: 152-60
• 12 Tehrani Banihashemi S, Amirkhani MA, Haghdoost AA, Alavian S, Asgharifard H, Baradaran H. et al. Health Literacy and the Influencing Factors: A Study in Five Provinces of Iran. Strides Dev Med Educ 2007; 4: 1-9
• 13 Naghibi Sistani MM, Montazeri A, Yazdani R, Murtomaa H. New oral health literacy instrument for public health: Development and pilot testing. J Investig Clin Dent 2014; 5: 313-21
• 14 Nutbeam D. Health literacy as a public health goal: A challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health Promot Int 2000; 15: 259-67
• 15 Sistani MM, Yazdani R, Virtanen J, Pakdaman A, Murtomaa H. Oral health literacy and information sources among adults in Tehran, Iran. Community Dent Health 2013; 30: 178-82
• 16 Sabbahi DA, Lawrence HP, Limeback H, Rootman I. Development and evaluation of an oral health literacy instrument for adults. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2009; 37: 451-62
• 17 Pattussi MP, Peres KG, Boing AF, Peres MA, da Costa JS. Self-rated oral health and associated factors in Brazilian elders. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 348-59
• 18 Bernabé E, Suominen AL, Nordblad A, Vehkalahti MM, Hausen H, Knuuttila M. et al. Education level and oral health in Finnish adults: Evidence from different lifecourse models. J Clin Periodontol 2011; 38: 25-32
• 19 Javadzade SH, Sharifirad G, Radjati F, Mostafavi F, Reisi M, Hasanzade A. et al. Relationship between health literacy, health status, and healthy behaviors among older adults in Isfahan, Iran. J Educ Health Promot 2012; 1: 31