Factors Affecting Self-ratings of Oral Health
Corresponding Author
Ruth E. Matthias PhD
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Kathryn A. Atchison DDS, MPH
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
James E. Lubben DSW
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Fred De Jong PhD
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Stuart O. Schweitzer PhD
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Ruth E. Matthias PhD
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Kathryn A. Atchison DDS, MPH
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
James E. Lubben DSW
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Fred De Jong PhD
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Stuart O. Schweitzer PhD
Drs. Matthias and Lubben are at the School of Public Policy and Social Research, Dr. Atchison is with the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Schweitzer is with the School of Public Health, all at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. De Jong is with the Schools of Social Welfare and Gerontology, University of Southern California. Interpretations of the data are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the Health Care Financing Authority.
Send correspondence and reprint/offprint requests to Dr. Matthias, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, 247 Dodd Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Internet: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorThis study is part of a larger project funded by the Office of Research and Demonstrations, US Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), #95-C-99165/9-01. The total (direct and indirect) costs of the six-year project, which ended April 30,1994, are estimated to be $1,932,000. Total reimbursements for Medicare-waived services were $404,300. HCFA is funding 100 percent of the total costs. A paper was presented on July 2,1992, at the International Association of Dental Research meeting, Glasgow, Scotland.
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship of self-rated oral health to a comprehensive battery of clinical, sociodemographic, physical health, and mental health measures in a well-elderly urban population. Methods: Results are based on telephone interviews and clinical assessments of 550 subjects over 65 years of age participating in a Los Angeles-based Medicare project during 1990. Subjects were mostly female, white (89%), with above-average income. Results: Findings show that: (1) the DMF measure is not as strongly related to self-rated oral health as was a single measure of missing teeth; (2) the major predictors of self-rated oral health were “worry about teeth” and “appearance of teeth” followed by total missing teeth, race, education, and depression scores; and (3) self-rated general health is related to self-rated oral health. Conclusion: Self-rated oral health may be, for older adults, a better measure of “health” than of “morbidity.”
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