title: Oral Health Literacy and Oral Health Status among Adults Attending Dental College Hospital in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low health literacy is one among many reasons why preventable diseases remain so common and why people often do not adopt healthy practices. It is important to detect patients with inadequate oral health literacy (OHL) and to improve the level of communication between the provider and the patient. This study was aimed to determine the relationship between OHL with selected socio-demographic variables and oral health status among adults in Virajpet, Karnataka, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 187 subjects from the out-patient department of Coorg-Institute of Dental Sciences Hospital administered the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30). The demographic variables and the oral health status were recorded for every participant using World Health Organization oral health survey proforma (1997). Data were analyzed using t-tests, analysis of variance, correlations and Kruskal-Wallis test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The associations between REALD-30 scores and gender, age, and ethnicity were not statistically significant. Significant associations were found between REALD scores and the following oral-health related variables: Temperomandibular joint problems, prevalence of prosthetic need, CPI (Community Periodontal Index) and loss of attachment scores. REALD-30 scores were negatively correlated with DMFT (Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth) scores and DAI (Dental Aesthetic Index) scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OHL was not associated with sex, age, or ethnicity in this sample of the Virajpet population. OHL was associated with oral health status. Lower OHL was associated with poorer oral health status. OHL instruments can be considered to be included as screening tools to identifying individuals or groups with poor oral health outcomes.
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Pariyaram Dental College, Kannur, India.
authors: Reshmi
authors: R
authors: Haridas
authors: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences, Virajpet, Karnataka, India.
authors: Supreetha
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, KVG Dental College and Hospital, Kurunjibhag, Sullia, Karnataka, India.
authors: Sunil Lingaraj
authors: SL
authors: Ajagannanavar
authors: Lecturer, Division of Dental Public Health, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, King Khalid University, College of Dentistry, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Shreyas
authors: S
authors: Tikare
authors: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sri Ramakrishna Dental College and Hospital, Avarampalayam, Coimbatore.
authors: Mathew J
authors: MJ
authors: Maliyil
authors: Part-time Research Scholar, Department of Statistics, Yuvaraja College, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors: Amrutha Ammanichanda
authors: AA
authors: Kalappa
keywords: Dental caries; patient-provider communication; rapid estimate of adult literacy in dentistry
references: Fam Med. 2004 Sep;36(8):575-81
references: 15343419
references: BMC Oral Health. 2010 Mar 26;10:3
references: 20346124
references: J Public Health Dent. 2005 Summer;65(3):174-82
references: 16171263
references: J Public Health Dent. 2007 Spring;67(2):94-8
references: 17557680
references: J Dent Res. 2010 Dec;89(12 ):1395-400
references: 20924067
references: J Am Dent Assoc. 2007 Sep;138(9):1199-208; quiz 1266-7
references: 17785385