Gender-stratified models to examine the relationship between financial hardship and self-reported oral health for older US men and women

D.L. Chi and R. Tucker-Seeley

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 8, 1507-1515

Abstract: Objectives. We evaluated the relationship between financial hardship and self-reported oral health for older men and women. Methods. We focused on adults in the 2008 Health and Retirement Study (n = 1359). The predictor variables were 4 financial hardship indicators. We used Poisson regression models to estimate the prevalence ratio of poor self-reported oral health. Results. In the non-gender-stratified model, number of financial hardships was not significantly associated with self-reported oral health. Food insecurity was associated with a 12% greater prevalence of poor self-reported oral health (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04, 1.21). In the gender-stratified models, women with 3 or more financial hardships had a 24% greater prevalence of poor self-reported oral health than women with zero (95% CI = 1.09, 1.40). Number of hardships was not associated with self-reported oral health for men. For men, skipping medications was associated with 50% lower prevalence of poor self-reported oral health (95% CI = 0.32, 0.76). Conclusions. Number of financial hardships was differentially associated with self-reported oral health for older men and women. Most financial hardship indicators affected both genders similarly. Future interventions to improve vulnerable older adults' oral health should account for gender-based heterogeneity in financial hardship experiences. © 2013 American Journal of Public Health.

Keywords: aged; article; catering service; chi square distribution; cross-sectional study; female; health; health status indicator; human; income; longitudinal study; male; medicaid; middle aged; nonparametric test; Poisson distribution; retirement; risk factor; self report; social class; statistics; United States, Aged; Chi-Square Distribution; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Food Supply; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Income; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medicaid; Middle Aged; Oral Health; Poisson Distribution; Retirement; Risk Factors; Self Report; Social Class; Statistics, Nonparametric; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2012.301145_0

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301145

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