title: Ethnic variation in oral health and social integration among older rural adults.
abstract: This analysis examines the associations of oral health with social integration among ethnically diverse (African American, American Indian, White) rural older adults. Data are from a cross-sectional survey of 635 randomly selected community-dwelling adults aged 60+. Measures include self-rated oral health, number of teeth, number of oral health problems, social engagement, and social network size. Minority elders have poorer oral health than do White older adults. Most rural elders have substantial social engagement and social networks. Better oral health (greater number of teeth) is directly associated with social engagement, whereas the relationship of oral health to social network size is complex. The association of oral health with social engagement does not differ by ethnicity. Poorer oral health is associated with less social integration among African American, American Indian, and White elders. More research on the ways oral health affects the lives of older adults is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
authors.forename: Haiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Margaret R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Savoca
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Ronny A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: oral health disparities; rural aging; social engagement; social network