The Association between Quality of life and Prosthetic Status and Prosthetic Needs in Han and Aboriginal Adults in Taitung county and Southern Taiwan

• Main Authors: Chin-Tzu Chen, 陳境治
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/43475746396857687336

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 口腔衛生科學碩士在職專班 === 92 === Abstract Background: The population proportion of elderly has been growing higher in Taiwan. People pursue not only longer life, but also better quality of life (QOL). Previous research pointed out that chewing dysfunction could affect general body health, mental health, or even social relationship. However, there were limited studies on the correlation of prosthetic status and prosthetic needs with the quality of life. Study objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between prosthetic status and prosthetic needs with the quality of life (QOL). Study methods: Our survey included Taitung and four other counties of Southern Taiwan. People who have both finished questionnaire and received oral examinations were considered as study samples with information on the prosthetic status, prosthetic needs, and the quality of life were. There were totally 510 participants (169 were aborigines and 341 were Han adults). QOL was evaluated by SF-36. The JMP Statistics software has been utilized to conduct the statistical analysis. Results: For prosthetic status, the restored rate of men (13.51%) was less than a half of that of women (29.47%) in aborigines. For people older than 65 y/o, the restored rate (46.03%) was significant higher than that people aged 18-34 y/o(17.74%). Only about 20% aboriginal adults have been restored by prosthetic treatment; while Han adults, up to 40%. The aboriginal restored rate was almost half of Han’s. The restored rate ascended as the age increased in Han adults, but the same phenomenon doesn’t exist in aboriginal adults. The prosthetic needs for aborigines were up to 52%, but for Hans were only 24%. Aborigines were 2.57 times as compared with Han. After comparing the different prosthetic status and need, it was significant and negative influence to physical component scale (PCS) for Hans who just have been restored or have prosthetic need. But for aborigines, it was significant and negative influence only for people who have been restored and have persisted in having prosthetic need. The mental health that calculated by mental component scale(MCS) in SF-36 was just only to be influenced significantly for the people who have never been restored and persisted in having prosthetic need in Hans. But there is no significant difference in aborigines. The fixed prosthesis was apparently positive to physical health, but the removable was negative. It was apparently positive to mental health only for aborigines having partial removable denture. It was negative to physical health for those having removable denture need. It was also negative to mental health for those having fixed denture need. The people whose remained teeth over 20 were better in physical condition than those under 20 in both tribes, but the mental impact just occurred in Hans. There were 3.58 times more possibilities for aborigines to have TMJ syndrome as compared with Hans . Conclusion: The differences in prosthetic status, prosthetic type, and prosthetic needs have significant influence to QOL. This study indicated that the impact on the quality of life by prosthetic status and prosthetic need were higher in physical than in mental. The mental impact was significant only on Hans. The higher the socioeconomic was, the stronger the impact would be. Fixed prosthesis was better than removable prosthesis. This study found the differences in the association between the quality of life and prosthetic status as well as prosthetic need in aborigines and Hans. It also indicated the important factors that influence QOL. The result could be considered as a reference in making dental public health policy in the future. .