Analysis of status quo and influencing factors of oral health literacy among the elderly in Hangzhou

Abstract

Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate the current status of oral healthy literacy (OHL) among the elderly in Hangzhou and analyze its influencing factors. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 230 elderly people living in Hangzhou from August 2022 to November 2022. The General Information Questionnaire, the Simplified Version of the Oral Health Literacy Scale (HeLD-14), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) were employed to investigate and analyze the influencing factors of OHL in the elderly. Results The total OHL score of the elderly was 37 (31, 41) points, and the results of regression analysis showed that the monthly household income, place of residence, history of oral health education, and social support entered the regression equation as influencing factors of elderly OHL, which were the influencing factors of OHL in the elderly, explaining 24.4% of the variance. Conclusion The OHL of the elderly in Hangzhou is at a moderate level, and medical staff should implement targeted health education for the elderly with different family incomes and places of residence, publicize the role of oral health education, and improve the level of social support on oral health, to improve the OHL level of the elderly.