title: [General and oral health and their relation to life-style and social activity among elderly Danes living at home].
abstract: The present study was performed in order to plan and evaluate dental health care for at cohort of 67-yr-olds in a Danish municipality. The purpose was to study general and dental health and the effect of life-style and social network relations. The study population comprised 216 persons (71% of persons selected). Data were collected in 1987 by means of standardized interviews. Measurement of lifestyle was based on information about how often the respondents participated in social and cultural activities. Family network activity was measured from information on the frequency of contact to family members, while data on relations to friends and neighbours were based on the quality of contact. Moreover, the participants were asked about the presence of various health symptoms. Additive indices on life-style and social networks were constructed. Symptoms were frequent among less active people. For example, 36% of the participants with very low activity reported at least 5 complaints of ill health against 10% in the group with an active life-style. Among less active persons, 51% were edentulous, against 34% among active persons. Most symptoms of ill health occurred relatively often among persons with weak social networks. All in all, 59% had dentures in both jaws. However, 70% were full denture wearers in the group with weak family network, 65% in the group with weak relations to friends, 67% among persons with weak relations to neighbours, and 65% among single living persons. In conclusion, ill health seems to be interrelated with a passive life-style, and non-supportive social networks seem to increase the risk of ill health, in general as well as dentally.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nortov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D012944:Social Support
vernacular_title: Alment og oralt helbred i relation til livsstil og socialt netvaerk hos aeldre, hjemmeboende mennesker.