Autopercepção da saúde bucal em idosos atendidos em um centro especializado em geriatria: prevalência e fatores associados

Abstract

Oral health plays a crucial role in the general well-being of the elderly, with repercussions on quality of life and psychosocial aspects, which are considered important elements for public health. Self-perception of oral health (SOH) stands out, whose contribution involves the recognition of the determining factors of oral health until the implementation of interventions aimed at preventing, promoting and coping with oral health problems for the elderly. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with self-perception of oral health in elderly people treated at the Reference Center for Health Care for the Elderly (CRASI) Eny Faria de Oliveira, in the north of Minas Gerais. This is an observational, cross-sectional and analytical study. Elderly people of both sexes, aged ≥ 60 years, treated at this center were included in the research. Elderly people who were unable to participate in the investigation were excluded, such as those diagnosed with dementia - reported by their companion or confirmed by medical reports (when available) - and who had cognitive, understanding, reasoning and/or communication incapacity to respond. the questionnaires. Data collection was carried out at the specialized center, between June and August 2023, and was conducted with elderly people who attended the health unit for care by the multidisciplinary team. The ASB outcome variable was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The independent variables referred to sociodemographic and subjective factors, oral self-care practices and aspects related to the clinical condition. Initially, descriptive analyzes of the variables studied were carried out. To analyze the associations between the independent variables and ASB, Poisson regression models were applied, with simple and hierarchical multiple factor analyses, estimating the gross and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR), with respective confidence intervals. 95% (95%CI). 277 elderly people treated in the secondary care service were evaluated, with a predominance of females (78.0%). The majority of participants were aged between 60 and 73 years (52.7%), with a mean age of 73.8 (SD±7.79) in the total group evaluated. The prevalence of elderly people's self-assessment regarding the impact of their oral health condition showed that 62.5% of individuals considered their oral health to be positive. The hierarchical (adjusted) multivariate model revealed that elderly people aged 73 years or older (PR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.05- 2.88; p=0.033), with a lower level of oral health literacy ( PR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.00-2.92; p=0.050), worse self-perception of general health status (PR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.12-1.41; p<0.001 ) and at risk for sarcopenia (PR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.09-4.39; p=0.027) presented higher prevalences of negative SOH. The results recorded highlight the need for well-established integrated care coordination and prepared to meet the particular oral health demands of the elderly population. Given the high prevalence of elderly people with a negative SOH, a pitch and an educational folder were developed as technical products of this dissertation, for the promotion, prevention and education in oral health of the elderly.