Chahar Puneet, Mohanty Vikrant R, Aswini Y B
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Indian J Public Health. 2019 Jan-Mar;63(1):15-20. doi: 10.4103/ijph.IJPH_316_17.
Oral health is recognized as an integral component of general health, and poor oral health is reflected in general health and quality of life (QoL). India has seen a profound shift in the elderly population and is currently home to 103.9 million elders. General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) is a self-reported oral health assessment index used in elderly population and has been tested in multiple countries.
The study aimed to assess the oral health-related QoL (OHRQoL) using GOHAI and various factors affecting it, among elderly patients visiting special Sunday geriatric clinics at Delhi public hospitals.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among four purposively selected special geriatric public clinics in Delhi, India, and a convenience sample of 145 elderly patients was obtained. OHRQoL was measured using a prevalidated instrument (GOHAI) along with other variables (sociodemographic factors, self-perceived oral health, utilization of medical/dental services, dental problems in the past 12 months, and prosthetic status/need). Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 21, and descriptive results were obtained.
The sample consisted of 66 males (45.5%) and 79 females (55.5%), and around 58% (n = 84) of the participants were illiterate. Around 39% (n = 57) of the elderly had never visited a dentist and 48% (n = 69) were financially dependent (no income) on others. The mean GOHAI score for the population was 26.69 + 4.44 (median = 25, interquartile range = 23-27). GOHAI score was compared for age, oral hygiene practices, dental problems in the past 12 months, self-reported oral health, and prosthetic need, and a statistically significant difference was observed.
The current study assessed GOHAI score and highlighted important determinants of OHRQoL in elderly population visiting the special clinics in Delhi. Thus, OHRQoL should be considered as a surrogate measure to clinical oral examination.
口腔健康被视为整体健康的一个组成部分，口腔健康不佳会在整体健康和生活质量（QoL）中体现出来。印度老年人口发生了深刻变化，目前有1.039亿老年人。一般口腔健康评估指数（GOHAI）是一种用于老年人群的自我报告口腔健康评估指数，已在多个国家进行过测试。
本研究旨在使用GOHAI评估德里公立医院特殊周日老年诊所就诊的老年患者的口腔健康相关生活质量（OHRQoL）及其影响因素。
在印度德里有目的地选取四家特殊老年公立诊所进行横断面研究，获得了145名老年患者的便利样本。使用经过预验证的工具（GOHAI）以及其他变量（社会人口学因素、自我感知的口腔健康、医疗/牙科服务的利用情况、过去12个月的牙齿问题以及假牙状况/需求）来测量OHRQoL。使用社会科学统计软件包21版进行统计分析，并得出描述性结果。
样本包括66名男性（45.5%）和79名女性（55.5%），约58%（n = 84）的参与者为文盲。约39%（n = 57）的老年人从未看过牙医，48%（n = 69）在经济上依赖他人（无收入）。该人群的平均GOHAI评分为26.69 + 4.44（中位数 = 25，四分位间距 = 23 - 27）。比较了GOHAI评分在年龄、口腔卫生习惯、过去12个月的牙齿问题、自我报告的口腔健康以及假牙需求方面的差异，观察到有统计学意义。
本研究评估了GOHAI评分，并突出了德里特殊诊所就诊的老年人群OHRQoL的重要决定因素。因此，OHRQoL应被视为临床口腔检查的替代指标。
