title: Access, literacy and behavioural correlates of poor self-rated oral health amongst an indigenous south Australian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To better understand the determinants of self-rated oral health within an Indigenous population by: 1, examining potential individual-level correlates of socio-demographic, health behaviours, dental care access and oral health literacy-related outcomes with self-rated oral health; and, 2, examining the relative contribution of these domains to self-rated oral health in multivariable modelling.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted nested logistic regression analyses on self-reported status of 'fair or poor' versus 'better' oral health using data from a convenience sample of rural dwelling Indigenous Australians (n = 468). Data were collected on background characteristics, health behaviours, access to dental care, oral health literacy-related outcome variables and REALD 30, an oral health literacy scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 37.0 % of the Indigenous adult population reported fair or poor oral health. In multivariable modelling, risk indicators for fair or poor self-rated oral health that persisted after adjusting for other covariates included being aged 38+ years (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.9,4.6), holding a Government Health Concession card (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1,4.5), avoiding the dentist due to financial constraints (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.4,3.6), not knowing how to make an emergency dental visit (OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1,2.7) and poor understanding of the prevention of dental disease (OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1,2.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this vulnerable population, risk indicators contributing to poor self-rated oral health included socio-demographic, dental care access and oral health literacy-related factors. Health behaviours were not significant.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jamieson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D017048:Health Care Costs; D057220:Health Literacy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing; D035862:Vulnerable Populations