title: Demographics, social position, dental status and oral health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults.
abstract: To identify demographic, socioeconomic and dental clinical predictors of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in elderly people.
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional study involving 613 elderly people aged 65-74 years in Manaus, Brazil. Interviews and oral examinations were carried out to collect demographic characteristics (age and sex) and socioeconomic data (income and education), dental clinical measures (DMFT, need of upper and lower dentures) and OHRQoL (GOHAI questionnaire). Structural equation modelling was used to estimate direct and indirect pathways between the variables.
  
  
  
  Being older predicted lower schooling but higher income. Higher income was linked to better dental status, which was linked to better OHRQoL. There were also indirect pathways. Age and education were linked to OHRQoL, mediated by clinical dental status. Income was associated with dental clinical status via education, and income predicted OHRQoL via education and clinical measures.
  
  
  
  Our findings elucidate the complex pathways between individual, environmental factors and clinical factors that may determine OHRQoL and support the application of public health approaches to improve oral health in older people.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Federal University of Amazonas, Rua Rio Itannana, 111, Bairro Nossa Sra das Gracas, Manaus, AM, CEP: 69.053-040, Brazil.|Academic Unit of Dental Public Health, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, 19 Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 5SX, UK.
authors.forename: Maria Augusta Bessa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rebelo
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, State University of Amazonas, Av. Djalma Batista, 2470, Chapada, Manaus, AM, CEP: 69050-10, Brazil.
authors.forename: Evangeline Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Dental Public Health, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, 19 Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 5SX, UK.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Dental Public Health, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, 19 Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 5SX, UK. m.vettore@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mario Vianna
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Vettore
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003778:Dentures; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Elderly people; Oral health; Quality of life; Socioeconomic status; Structural equation modelling