title: Why do poor adults rate their oral health poorly?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The reasons why socioeconomic circumstances are associated with oral health are not well understood. This study investigated whether psychosocial factors might play an explanatory role.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey data were used from the 1999 National Dental Telephone Interview Survey together with information from an accompanying questionnaire sent to adult interviewees. Household income and self-rated oral health were assessed with single items and life dissatisfaction, personal constraint and perceived stress were evaluated with standard psychometric scales. Bivariate associations were tested using chi-square and ANOVA and odds ratios estimated for low self-rated oral health using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response to the questionnaire was 64.6 per cent and analysis was limited to dentate adults (n = 3678). Low household income was positively associated with low self-rated oral health. Higher dissatisfaction with life, personal constraint and perceived stress scores were associated with low income and with low self-rated oral health. After adjusting for gender, age, income and missing teeth, adults with high personal constraint scores had greater odds of low self-rated oral health (OR 1.26; 1.10-1.43) as had adults with higher perceived stress scores (OR 1.69; 1.34-2.13).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychosocial factors are important in understanding pathways between socioeconomic position and oral health status.
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Dental School, The University of Adelaide.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001315:Australia; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009909:Oral Health; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires