| Summary: | 碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 口腔衛生科學研究所碩士在職專班 === 94 === Background:
According to the progress in the modern medicine and public health in recent years, the human’s average life span was more longer. The main health problem of human had already been replaced from the infectious diseases to chronic diseases. In those chronic diseases, poor healthy behaviors and poor oral hygiene may have significant correlation between severe periodontal disease and loss of teeth. This study focused on edentulous prevalence and the related factors among the middle-aged and the elderly (>45 y/o) in Taiwan.
Objectives:
The aim of our study was to understand the edentulous prevalence among the middle-aged and the elderly in Taiwan. In addition, we hope to find the difference and correlation between the edentulous condition and the variables including demographic characteristics, chronic diseases, health behaviors and oral health behaviors.
Methods:
The study sample was based on the survey conducted in ”Survey on oral condition and related factors among the middle-aged and the elderly over 45 y/o in Taiwan”. The data of the middle-aged and the elderly (>45y/o) was analyzed. After we excluded subjects of incomplete data, our effective sample size was 11,340 and actually weighted sample size was 11,319, male and female numbers were 5,704(50.4%) and 5,614(49.6%).The edentulous was defined as complete denture case by the door-to-door interview questionnaire. The data was analyzed by statistical package SPSS for windows (version 10.0, Chicago), Chi-square and logistic regression.
Results:
The result revealed that the edentulous prevalence of the middle-aged and the elderly over 45 y/o was 6.8%, and the elderly over 65 y/o was 18.0% in Taiwan. The demographic characteristics of the edentulous prevalence showed that the prevalence of women (8.2%) was higher than men (5.5%) and increased with age. The education of the edentulous prevalence showed that the prevalence of the illiterate (18.3%) was higher. The occupation of the edentulous prevalence showed that the prevalence of non-technician and unemployed persons (9.1%) were significantly higher. The results of logistic regression analysis of the edentulous condition with adjustment of sex, age, education and occupation were showed as following. The edentulous prevalence of diabetes and osteoporosis were higher. The association between edentulous prevalence and health behavior were not significant. Concerning the association between the edentulous prevalence and oral hygiene behavior, it was noted that the edentulous prevalence of the persons who receive regular oral examination and brush teeth after each meal was lower.
Conclusions:
This study can reveal the importance of oral hygiene care in the middle-aged and the elderly over 45 y/o in Taiwan by understanding the edentulous prevalence of them and its correlative factors. In addition, it will be a guideline for popularizing and improving middle- and old-aged oral hygiene care.
Keywords: the middle-aged and the elderly, edentulism, prevalence
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