title: Prevalence, severity, and clinical determinants of oral impacts in older people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
abstract: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and the severity of oral impacts and the relationships between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and clinical measures of oral function in a sample of older adults in Bosnia. The sample comprised 261 community-dwelling adults of ≥65 yr of age. Participants were randomly drawn from three senior day-centres for elderly people. Data were collected using clinical examination and a questionnaire. The OHRQoL was assessed through the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) measure, in terms of the prevalence, intensity, and extent of oral impacts. Overall, 55.2% reported at least one oral impact in the last 6 months. Difficulty eating (43.3%) and difficulty speaking (34.1%) were the most common impacts. These were also the most severely affected performances, while 'going out' and 'enjoying the contact of other people' were the least severe. A higher number of natural teeth, natural occluding pairs, and anterior and posterior occluding pairs were all significantly associated with a lower prevalence of oral impacts and correlated with the OIDP score, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. The prevalence of oral impacts was high and there was a strong and consistent association between OHRQoL and clinical dental indicators of function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Medicine, University of East Sarajevo, Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina. jelena_kulic@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erić
authors.forename: Ivica
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stančić
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tihaček-Šojić
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kulić
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popovac
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsakos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D003945:Diagnosis, Oral; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires