title: Assessing changes in oral health-related quality of life and its factors in community-dwelling older Brazilians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe changes in oral health-related quality of life and to evaluate the associations of these changes in community-dwelling older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this longitudinal study a representative sample of 872 older people, living in Brazil, was evaluated during 2004. The follow-up was carried out during 2008, with 587 older persons evaluated. A questionnaire assessing socio-demographic information, health history, oral health-impact profile and number of natural teeth was used. Changes in oral health-related quality of life were categorized as improvement or deterioration. Data analysis was performed using a hierarchical approach based in a conceptual framework. A hierarchal approach was carried out using Poisson regressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older persons living in rural areas, those who reported brushing once a day or less and older persons with fewer natural teeth had an increased chance of reporting deterioration in oral health-related quality of life. Women and participants who received a minimum wage of less than US $219.50 were more likely to report improvement in oral health-related quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that changes in the oral health-related quality of life are influenced by many of the variables that were included in the conceptual framework.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry Center of Community Dental Health Research, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Mello
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Aline Blaya
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Renato José
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: de Marchi
authors.forename: Juliana Balbinot
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hilgert
authors.forename: Fernando Neves
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Hugo
authors.forename: Dalva Maria Pereira
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Padilha
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D003817:Dentition; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D057187:Independent Living; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000523:psychology; D009909:Oral Health; D011788:Quality of Life; D012423:Rural Health; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D012919:Social Behavior; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000523:psychology; D014504:Urban Health