Macek Mark D, Atchison Kathryn A, Wells William, Haynes Don, Parker Ruth M, Chen Haiyan
Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland (Baltimore), MD, USA.
Division of Public Health and Community Dentistry, University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry, CA, USA.
J Public Health Dent. 2017 Mar;77(2):95-98. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12199. Epub 2017 Jan 12.
Medicare does not usually include a dental benefit. Adults who are unaware of this fact risk unanticipated expenses after retirement. This report will explore the sociodemographic and oral health literacy determinants of this knowledge.
Data came from the Multi-Site Oral Health Literacy Research Study, a survey of patients presenting to two university dental clinics. Sociodemographic descriptors included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, and dental insurance status. Oral health literacy was measured by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and Dentistry (REALM-D).
Only 34 percent of respondents knew the correct answer to the Medicare question. Knowledge was significantly associated with age, race/ethnicity, education level (bivariate only), and REALM-D score.
Policymakers and those assisting in Medicare enrollment should ensure information regarding dental coverage is communicated in ways that individuals of varying literacy, language, and culture understand what is necessary to make appropriate decisions.
医疗保险通常不包括牙科福利。不清楚这一事实的成年人在退休后面临意外费用的风险。本报告将探讨这一认知的社会人口学和口腔健康素养决定因素。
数据来自多地点口腔健康素养研究，这是一项对前往两家大学牙科诊所就诊患者的调查。社会人口学描述包括年龄、性别、种族/民族、教育水平和牙科保险状况。口腔健康素养通过医学和牙科成人识字率快速评估（REALM-D）进行测量。
只有34%的受访者知道医疗保险问题的正确答案。认知与年龄、种族/民族、教育水平（仅双变量分析）和REALM-D得分显著相关。
政策制定者和协助医疗保险参保的人员应确保以不同识字水平、语言和文化背景的个人能够理解做出适当决策所需信息的方式，传达有关牙科保险的信息。
