Self-perceived oral health status and influencing factors of the elderly residents of a peri-urban area of La Paz, Bolivia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the self-perceived oral health status of the elderly in Bolivia and explore the relationship between the socio-demographic and subjective factors that influence such perception.


METHODS
A cross sectional study.


METHODS
Pampahasi, peri-urban area of La Paz, Bolivia.


METHODS
A 22.5% (300) sample was selected randomly from the total population (1,336) of 60 years and above. Of the participants, 293 agreed to participate in the survey.


METHODS
Information was collected by interviews at home.


RESULTS
The mean age was 70 years (SD = 7.7), with more females (57%) than males. Sixty per cent of subjects categorised their oral health as poor. Logistic regression analysis showed that poor self-perceived oral health was associated significantly with not going to school, no/ fair satisfaction with economic status, poor chewing ability, perception of need for dental treatment, and poor self-perceived general health status.


CONCLUSIONS
Socio-economic factors seem to contribute to poor oral health among the elderly in Bolivia. Considering that these factors are associated with bad oral health behaviour and few visits to dental clinics, there is a need to design dental education programmes and enhance accessibility to dental clinics for elderly people living in the peri-urban areas of La Paz, Bolivia.
Ugarte
Juan
J
Department of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
Abe
Yasuyo
Y
Fukuda
Hideki
H
Honda
Sumihisa
S
Takamura
Noboru
N
Kobuke
Yuko
Y
Ye
Zhaojia
Z
Aoyagi
Kiyoshi
K
Mendoza
Orlando
O
Shinsho
Fumiaki
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001838:Bolivia; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population