title: Social relationships and oral health among adults aged 60 years or older.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed associations between social relationships and oral health outcomes and whether these associations were explained by demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors, and physical health.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004) data on 4014 adults aged 60 years or older. Oral health outcomes were edentulism, number of decayed teeth, root decay, number of sound or filled teeth, and self-rated oral health. Social relationships referred to social networks (marital status, number of close friends) and social support (emotional support need, provision of financial support). Analyses consisted of regression models sequentially adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and physical health confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In fully adjusted models, widowed or divorced/separated individuals had fewer sound or filled teeth than those married or living with a partner: rate ratio (95% confidence interval)=0.89 (0.82 to 0.97) and 0.90 (0.83 to 0.97), respectively. People with four to six close friends had fewer decayed teeth and lower probability for root decay than those with fewer friends. Emotional support need was associated with 1.41 (1.05 to 1.90) higher odds for root decay and 1.18 (1.04 to 1.35) higher odds for poorer self-rated oral health. Lack of financial support was associated with more decayed teeth. Edentulism was not related to any social network and social support markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social relationships are associated with clinical measures of current disease, markers of good oral function, and subjective oral health, but not with clinical measures of a lifetime history of oral disease among older Americans.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK. g.tsakos@ucl.ac.uk
authors: Georgios
authors: G
authors: Tsakos
authors: Wael
authors: W
authors: Sabbah
authors: Tarani
authors: T
authors: Chandola
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Newton
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Kawachi
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Aida
authors: Aubrey
authors: A
authors: Sheiham
authors: Michael G
authors: MG
authors: Marmot
authors: Richard G
authors: RG
authors: Watt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D060756:Social Networking; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology