Elders assessment of an evolving model of oral health.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate qualitatively a model of oral health through focus groups among elders.


METHODS
The participants (30 women and 12 men; mean age: 75 years) attended one of six focus groups to discuss the relevance of the model to their oral health-related beliefs and experiences, and transcripts of the narratives were analysed systematically for the components, associations and recommendations emerging from the discussions.


RESULTS
The groups confirmed the relevance of the original components of the model with minor modifications, but felt that for completeness it required four additional components: diet; economic priorities; personal expectations; and health values and beliefs. They recommended that the negative connotations of limited activity, impairment and restricted participation were modified with the positive terms activity and participation, and they suggested that ellipses rather than concentric circles more aptly illustrate the dynamic and overlapping importance of the various components in the model.


CONCLUSIONS
The original model required additional components and graphic representation to accommodate all of the experiences and beliefs relating to the oral health of the elders who participated in this qualitative study.
Brondani
Mario A
MA
Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Bryant
S Ross
SR
MacEntee
Michael I
MI
D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009909:Oral Health; D036301:Qualitative Research