Social determinants and oral health conditions in the elderly

Abstract

Introduction: The health-disease relationship in the elderly is directly influenced by social health determinants, and such influence includes oral health. Objective: Determine the behavior of social determinants and oral health conditions in the elderly. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted of 339 subjects aged 60 years and over from Consultation Office No. 5 of Plaza de la Revolución Polyclinic from May 2015 to January 2016. The study was based on interrogation and clinical examination of the oral cavity, prior informed consent by participants. The variables analyzed were age, sex, occupation, economic status, family structure and functioning, housing conditions, eating habits and oral health conditions. Results: The 60-69 age group was the best represented (53.4 %), with a predominance of the female sex. Only 27.9 % of the elderly people who had a regular job had good oral health conditions, and more than 60 % of the patients examined who reported a low economic status had fair oral health conditions. There was a predominance of functional families with oral health conditions evaluated as good or fair. 73.5 % of those with good housing conditions also had good oral health conditions. Elderly patients with good oral health conditions represented 82.4 % of those with adequate eating habits. Conclusions: The favorable behavior of the determinants analyzed reflects their positive influence on the oral health status of elderly people.

Keywords

• determinantes sociales
• adulto mayor
• condiciones de salud bucodental.