Dental Anxiety and Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life among Rural Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Bothaina Hussein Hassan, Maha Mohammed Abd El Moniem, Shaimaa Samir Dawood, Abdulrahman Abdulhadi Alsultan, Amal Ismael Abdelhafez and Nancy Mahmoud Elsakhy
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Bothaina Hussein Hassan: Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Maha Mohammed Abd El Moniem: Department of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21527, Egypt
Shaimaa Samir Dawood: Department of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21527, Egypt
Abdulrahman Abdulhadi Alsultan: College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Amal Ismael Abdelhafez: Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Nancy Mahmoud Elsakhy: Department of Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Matrouh University, Marsa Matrouh 51511, Egypt

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association between dental anxiety (DA) and oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among rural community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 390 rural community-dwelling older adults attending outpatient clinics of the Damanhur National Medical Institute during the year 2021. Three instruments were used: a demographic and clinical data structured interview schedule, Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-5) questionnaire. All statistical analyses were considered significant at a p -value of ≤0.001. Results : The main results showed that the prevalence of DA among participants was 90.5%, and 66.9% of the studied elderly population were either extremely (phobic) or very anxious. Moreover, a significant association was found between older adults’ DA and their OHRQoL ( p ˂ 0.001). Conclusions: It was concluded that DA represents a common problem among rural community-dwelling older adults and is a predictor for poor OHRQoL. Raising community awareness about the importance of oral health and implementing measures to avoid DA through specialized community campaigns is recommended, particularly in rural areas.

Keywords: dental anxiety; dental care; oral health; quality of life; older adults; rural; community-dwelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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