Department of Burns, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiefang Road, Jingkou District, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
Department of Nursing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiefang Road, Jingkou District, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Nov 14;24(1):3169. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20697-1.
Oral health is a critical area in healthy aging. Oral health literacy (OHL) plays an important role in improving oral health behaviors and oral health status. However, few studies have investigated OHL among community-dwelling older adults and the influential mechanism of OHL on oral health behaviors has not been clarified. The aim of this study is to explore the interaction pathways through which OHL influences oral health behaviors among community-dwelling older adults.
This is a cross-sectional study. 429 community-dwelling older adults were recruited by a convenience sampling method from the activity service center in Zhenjiang, Southern China. The data were collected between September and November 2021 using the Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire (OHL-AQ) and other sophisticated scale assessments. A theoretical model based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model (IMB model) and previous research was developed and then validated using a structural equation model with AMOS v24.0.
The proposed model revealed a good fit to the data (χ2/df = 3.349, goodness of fit index = 0.957, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.921, root mean squared error of approximation = 0.074, comparative fit index = 0.955, normed fit index = 0.938). Oral health information (β = 0.23) and motivation (β = 0.56) positively affected OHL. OHL (β = 0.20) and motivation (β = 0.25) positively affected self-efficacy; self-efficacy (β = 0.98) had a direct effect on oral health behavior. OHL had an indirect effect on oral health behaviors through self-efficacy (β = 0.19). Motivation can both directly influence oral health behavior (β = 0.18) and indirectly influence oral health behavior through OHL and self-efficacy(β = 0.35).
The study findings make a valuable contribution to the influential mechanism of OHL on oral health behaviors. OHL improved oral health behaviors through self-efficacy among community-dwelling older adults. Oral health information directly affected OHL. Motivation directly affected oral health behaviors as well as influence oral health behaviors by changing OHL.
口腔健康是健康老龄化的关键领域。口腔健康素养（OHL）在改善口腔健康行为和口腔健康状况方面发挥着重要作用。然而，很少有研究调查社区居住的老年人的 OHL，并且 OHL 对口腔健康行为的影响机制尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨 OHL 通过哪些交互途径影响社区居住的老年人的口腔健康行为。
这是一项横断面研究。采用便利抽样法，从中国南方镇江的活动服务中心招募了 429 名社区居住的老年人。数据于 2021 年 9 月至 11 月期间使用口腔健康素养成人问卷（OHL-AQ）和其他复杂量表评估进行收集。基于信息动机行为技能模型（IMB 模型）和先前研究的理论模型，使用 AMOS v24.0 的结构方程模型进行了验证。
所提出的模型与数据拟合良好（χ2/df=3.349，拟合优度指数=0.957，调整拟合优度指数=0.921，均方根误差近似值=0.074，比较拟合指数=0.955，归一化拟合指数=0.938）。口腔健康信息（β=0.23）和动机（β=0.56）正向影响 OHL。OHL（β=0.20）和动机（β=0.25）正向影响自我效能；自我效能（β=0.98）对口腔健康行为有直接影响。OHL 通过自我效能（β=0.19）对口腔健康行为产生间接影响。动机可以直接影响口腔健康行为（β=0.18），也可以通过 OHL 和自我效能间接影响口腔健康行为（β=0.35）。
研究结果为 OHL 对口腔健康行为的影响机制提供了有价值的贡献。OHL 通过社区居住的老年人的自我效能改善了口腔健康行为。口腔健康信息直接影响 OHL。动机直接影响口腔健康行为，也通过改变 OHL 影响口腔健康行为。
