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Factors associated with oral health literacy among users of primary health care: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim

To analyze associations between sociodemographic factors, self-perception, self-care practices in health with Oral Health Literacy (OHL) levels among users of Primary Health Care (PHC).

Methods

A cross-sectional and analytical study was performed in Piracicaba (São Paulo), Brazil, in 2018, with a convenience sample of users of PHC that were aged over 18 years. Data were collected with a questionnaire by a trained dentist in two Family Health Units. The outcome variable was OHL, measured by the OHLA-B instrument, which was dichotomized by median into low (≤8 point) and high (>8 point). The independent variables were sociodemographic conditions (age, sex, self-declared skin color, and education), self-perceived oral health and self-care practices in health (tooth brushing frequency, smoking habits, reason for the last visit to the dentist, and source of health information search). Unadjusted and adjusted analyses were performed between OHL and independent variables for multiple logistic regression model (p≤0.05).

Results

The sample consisted of 450 adults. A total of 54.7% had a low OHL. After adjusting for sex and age, OHL was associated with skin color (OR=0.57; 95%CI=0.37-085), educational level (OR=4.92; 95%CI=3.16-7.79), health information from health professionals (OR=2.40; 95%CI=1.42-4.16) and internet (OR=2.88; 95%CI=1.59-5.32), toothbrushing >1 time a day (OR=3.23; 95%CI=1.27-9.92) and smokers (OR=0.42; 95%CI=0.23-0.73). After adjusting for sex, age and income, OHL was associated with (OR=0.63; 95%CI=0.41-096), educational level (OR=4.06; 95%CI=2.57-6.51) and smokers (OR=0.48; 95%CI=0.26-0.84).

Conclusions

Low OHL was associated with socioeconomic factors, source of information and smoking. This fact highlights the importance of health professionals to promote OHL.

Health literacy; Oral health; Primary health care


Introduction

Primary Health Care (PHC) ensures the well-being of the population by focusing on its needs11. World Health Organization & United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A vision for primary health care in the 21st century: towards universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. World Health Organization; 2018 [cited 2021 Mar 10]. Avaible from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/328065.
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. In the oral health field, PHC is responsible for prevent and controlling the main oral diseases. In Brazil, oral diseases represent one of the three main reasons why people seek health treatments, and this fact indicate the need for coordinated actions between society and health services22. Antunes JL, Toporcov TN, Bastos JL, Frazão P, Narvai PC, Peres MA. Oral health in the agenda of priorities in public health. Rev Saude Publica. 2016 Sep; 50:57. doi: 10.1590/S1518-8787.2016050007093.
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However, for health services to be able to solve problems and monitor them, it is necessary efficient communication processes between users and providers, since it is a critical component in health care33. Gutierrez N, Kindratt TB, Pagels P, Foster B, Gimpel NE. Health literacy, health information seeking behaviors and internet use among patients attending a private and public clinic in the same geographic area. J Community Health. 2014 Feb; 39(1):83-9. doi: 10.1007/s10900-013-9742-5.
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. In this context, it is essential to reflect on how people understand and use the information provided by oral health teams to manage their self-care44. Sampaio HA, Carioca AA, Sabry MO, Dos Santos PM, Coelho MA, Passamai MP. Health literacy in type 2 diabetics: associated factors and glycemic control. Cien Saude Colet. 2015 Mar; 20(3):865-74. doi: 10.1590/1413-81232015203.12392014.
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Individuals access health information from several sources, which have different degrees of usefulness and accuracy55. Fagnano M, Halterman JS, Conn KM, Shone LP. Health literacy and sources of health information for caregivers of urban children with asthma. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2012 Mar; 51(3):267-73. doi: 10.1177/0009922811421413.
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. All of these issues are dealt with by the field of Health Literacy (HL), which is defined as the cognitive and social skills that determine motivation and the ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in order to promote and maintain good health66. Nutbeam D. Health promotion glossary. Health Promot. 1986 May; 1(1):113-27. doi: 10.1093/heapro/1.1.113.
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. Although there are multiple definitions, it is of mutual agreement that HL contemplates more than reading pamphlets, scheduling appointments, understanding medicine labels or performing actions prescribed by health professionals77. World Health Organization. Health Literacy. 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion, Shanghai 2016. WHO; 2016.

8. Nutbeam D, Kickbusch I. Advancing health literacy: a global challenge for the 21st century. Health Promot Int. 2000; 15(3):183-4. doi: 10.1093/heapro/15.3.183.
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.

High levels of HL enable better decision-making about health self-care, as well as the use of services in an optimized form, including healthier lifestyles and successful management of the social determinants of health88. Nutbeam D, Kickbusch I. Advancing health literacy: a global challenge for the 21st century. Health Promot Int. 2000; 15(3):183-4. doi: 10.1093/heapro/15.3.183.
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. Limited levels of LS are associated with individuals with low education and worse socioeconomic conditions, which together cause worse health outcomes88. Nutbeam D, Kickbusch I. Advancing health literacy: a global challenge for the 21st century. Health Promot Int. 2000; 15(3):183-4. doi: 10.1093/heapro/15.3.183.
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, 99. National Center for Education Statistics. What is NAAL? National Assessment of Adult Literacy [cited 2020 Aug 28]. Available from: http://www.nces.ed.gov/naal/.
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.

Likewise, Oral Health Literacy (OHL) is a variable associated with the maintaining and promotion of good oral health1010. Bado FMR, De Checchi MHR, Cortellazzi KL, Ju X, Jamieson L, Mialhe FL. Oral health literacy, self-rated oral health, and oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian adults. Eur J Oral Sci. 2020 Jun; 128(3):218-225. doi: 10.1111/eos.12695.
https://doi.org/10.1111/eos.12695...

11. Mialhe FL, Santos BL, Bado FMR, Oliveira Júnior AJ, Soares GH. Association between oral health literacy and dental outcomes among users of primary healthcare services. Braz Oral Res. 2022 Jan; 36:e004. doi: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2022.vol36.0004.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-202...
- 1212. Batista MJ, Lawrence HP, Sousa MDLR. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil. BMC Public Health. 2017 Jul; 18(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4443-0.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4443-...
. Studies have shown associations of this construct with the modality and frequency of dental visits by the population and diverse outcomes in oral health1010. Bado FMR, De Checchi MHR, Cortellazzi KL, Ju X, Jamieson L, Mialhe FL. Oral health literacy, self-rated oral health, and oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian adults. Eur J Oral Sci. 2020 Jun; 128(3):218-225. doi: 10.1111/eos.12695.
https://doi.org/10.1111/eos.12695...

11. Mialhe FL, Santos BL, Bado FMR, Oliveira Júnior AJ, Soares GH. Association between oral health literacy and dental outcomes among users of primary healthcare services. Braz Oral Res. 2022 Jan; 36:e004. doi: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2022.vol36.0004.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-202...
- 1212. Batista MJ, Lawrence HP, Sousa MDLR. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil. BMC Public Health. 2017 Jul; 18(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4443-0.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4443-...
. Therefore, OHL should be considered an important factor by Oral Health Teams in treatment planning and management strategies for the population. However, little is known about the factors that are associated with OHL in users of health services in the Brazil despite the several studies already carried out in the country1010. Bado FMR, De Checchi MHR, Cortellazzi KL, Ju X, Jamieson L, Mialhe FL. Oral health literacy, self-rated oral health, and oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian adults. Eur J Oral Sci. 2020 Jun; 128(3):218-225. doi: 10.1111/eos.12695.
https://doi.org/10.1111/eos.12695...

11. Mialhe FL, Santos BL, Bado FMR, Oliveira Júnior AJ, Soares GH. Association between oral health literacy and dental outcomes among users of primary healthcare services. Braz Oral Res. 2022 Jan; 36:e004. doi: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2022.vol36.0004.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-202...

12. Batista MJ, Lawrence HP, Sousa MDLR. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil. BMC Public Health. 2017 Jul; 18(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4443-0.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4443-...

13. Bado FMR, Rebustini F, Jamieson L, Cortellazzi KL, Mialhe FL. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Oral Health Literacy Assessment in Spanish and development of a shortened form of the instrument. PLoS One. 2018 Nov; 13(11):e0207989. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207989.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.020...

14. Lins RML, Campêlo MCC, Silva LC, da Silva JVF, Borges CD, Moreira ARO, et al. [Methods for measuring oral health literacy in Brazil: an integrative review]. Rev Eletr Acervo Saude. 2020 Dec,12(12):e4993. Portuguese. doi: 10.25248/reas.e4993.2020.
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15. Silva-Junior MF, Rosário de Sousa MDL, Batista MJ. Health literacy on oral health practice and condition in an adult and elderly population. Health Promot Int. 2021 Aug; 36(4):933-42. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daaa135.
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16. Calvasina P, Lawrence HP, Hoffman-Goetz L, Norman CD. Brazilian immigrants’ oral health literacy and participation in oral health care in Canada. BMC Oral Health. 2016 Feb; 16:18. doi: 10.1186/s12903-016-0176-1.
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17. Barasuol JC, Daros BCI, Fraiz FC, Menezes JVNB. Caregiver oral health literacy: relationship with socioeconomic factors, oral health behaviors and perceived child dental status. Community Dent Health. 2020 May; 37(2):110-4. doi: 10.1922/CDH_4550Barasuol05.
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- 1818. Neves ÉTB, Lima LCM, Dutra LDC, Gomes MC, Siqueira MBLD, Paiva SM, et al. Oral health literacy, sociodemographic, family, and clinical predictors of dental visits among Brazilian early adolescents. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2021 Mar; 31(2):204-11. doi: 10.1111/ipd.12660.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.12660...
.

This study aimed to investigate the associations between sociodemographic factors, self-perception and self-care practices with OHL among adult users of PHC.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted with adult users of Family Health Units (FHU) in a medium-sized city located at the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2018. It was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Piracicaba Dental School (protocol 140/2014), and all subjects signed the Free and Informed Consent Form.

The sample size of 450 participants provided a test power of 90% (β=0.10) with a significance level of 5% (α=0.05) for the effect size found in the study (Odds Ratio of 2.0 and 50% response in the unexposed group) based on dependent variable OHL. A sample of 535 individuals were invited. Thus, the non-response rate was 15.9%.

As inclusion criteria for the research, individuals should aged between 18 and 80 years old, self-reported ability to read and speak Brazilian Portuguese and absence of diagnosis of dementia and visual or hearing impairment.

Data were collected by a trained dentist (FMRB) in two FHU with dental teams. These units were selected because they were the places where the researcher worked as a dentist. The convenience sample was composed by volunteers who were looking for dental care in the FHU and were contact to participate in the research when waiting for dental or general consultation. Questionnaires were applied in the form of an interview.

OHL was the outcome variable of this study, and it was measured using the OHLA-B instrument, the version of the Oral Health Literacy Assessment – Spanish (OHLA-S) validated to Brazilian Portuguese1313. Bado FMR, Rebustini F, Jamieson L, Cortellazzi KL, Mialhe FL. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Oral Health Literacy Assessment in Spanish and development of a shortened form of the instrument. PLoS One. 2018 Nov; 13(11):e0207989. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207989.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.020...
. OHLA-B is an instrument for measuring OHL through the pronunciation and comprehension of 15 words in the dental vocabulary. For the evaluation of the OHL score, the pronunciation and comprehension of the words were considered, adding a point for each item when both were correct. If one of the tests were incorrect, the score for this item would be 0. Considering the total of 15 items, the score could vary from 0 to 15 points. The higher the score, the higher the OHL levels.

OHLA-B scores were dichotomized by median of the sample into low (≤ 8 point) and high (>8 point). The independent variables were sociodemographic factors, self-care practices in health and self-perceived oral health.

The sociodemographic factors were dichotomized as follows: age (≤36 years old or >36 years old), sex (woman or man), self-declared skin color (white/yellow or brown/black), and education level (low: ≤8 years or high: >8 high years of study).

The variables related to self-care practices were dichotomized as: toothbrushing frequency (≤1 time a day or > 1 time a day), smoking (Yes or No), reason for the last visit to the dentist (Pain/Caries or Others) and the main source of health information search (TV, radio, books, others/internet/health professionals).

In addition, the variable self-perceived oral health was evaluated with a single question “How do you evaluate your oral health?” and was dichotomized as (excellent, very good and good or regular and poor).

All statistical tests were performed using the SAS 9.4 program (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. Release 9.4, 2010)1919. SAS Institute Inc, Release 9.4. Cary, North Carolina, USA: SAS Institute; 2010. . Descriptive analyses of the data were performed, and the associations between each independent variable and the dependent variable OHL were analyzed were using regression analyses.

Logistic regressions were performed on OHL controlled by age and sex (Model 1) and age, sex and socioeconomic status (Model 2). The level of significance adopted was 5%.

Results

The sample consisted of 450 participants and all the questionnaires were filled completely.

Most participants were ≤36 years old, declared being white/yellow, having more than 8 years of study, good /very good/ excellent self-perceived oral health, brushing their teeth more than once a day, not smoking, going to the last dentist appointment due to pain/caries, and consulting a health professional as a main source of health information.

A total of 54.7% was classified as presenting low OHL taking into account the cut-off point used for the OLHA instrument. After adjusting for sex and age, OHL was associated with skin color (OR=0.57; 95%CI=0.37-085), educational level (OR=4.92; 95%CI=3.16-7.79), health information from health professionals (OR=2.40; 95%CI=1.42-4.16) and internet (OR=2.88; 95%CI=1.59-5.32), toothbrushing >1 time a day (OR=3.23; 95%CI=1.27-9.92) and smokers (OR=0.42; 95%CI=0.23-0.73). After adjusting for sex, age and income, OHL was associated with skin color (OR=0.63; 95%CI=0.41-096), educational level (OR=4.06; 95%CI=2.57-6.51) and smokers (OR=0.48; 95%CI=0.26-0.84) ( Table 1 )

Table 1
Adjusted analysis between OHL with sociodemographic factors and self-care practices in health, Piracicaba, SP, 2018.

Discussion

This study showed that low levels of OHL among adult users of PHC were associated with sociodemographic factors, source of health information and smoking habits. Our results corroborate findings in the literature using other OHL instruments in other countries2020. Atchison KA, Gironda MW, Messadi D, Der-Martirosian C. Screening for oral health literacy in an urban dental clinic. J Public Health Dent. 2010 Fall; 70(4):269-75. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2010.00181.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2010...

21. Jackson RD, Eckert GJ. Health literacy in an adult dental research population: a pilot study. J Public Health Dent. 2008 Fall; 68(4):196-200. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2007.00063.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2007...

22. Lee JY, Divaris K, Baker AD, Rozier RG, Lee SY, Vann WF Jr. Oral health literacy levels among a low-income WIC population. J Public Health Dent. 2011 Spring; 71(2):152-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2011.00244.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2011...

23. Baskaradoss JK. Relationship between oral health literacy and oral health status. BMC Oral Health. 2018 Oct 24; 18(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s12903-018-0640-1.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-018-0640-...

24. Amirchaghmaghi M, Movahhed T, Mozaffari MP, Torkaman F, Ghazi A. Health literacy and its determinants in adult patients referred to dental clinics: a cross sectional study in Mashhad, Iran. Shiraz E-Med J. 2019; 20(9):e86582. doi: 10.5812/semj.86582.
https://doi.org/10.5812/semj.86582...

25. Sistani MM, Yazdani R, Virtanen J, Pakdaman A, Murtomaa H. Oral health literacy and information sources among adults in Tehran, Iran. Community Dent Health. 2013 Sep; 30(3):178-82.
- 2626. Macek MD, Atchison KA, Chen H, Wells W, Haynes D, Parker RM, et al. Oral health conceptual knowledge and its relationships with oral health outcomes: findings from a multi-site health literacy study. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2017 Aug; 45(4):323-9. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12294.
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12294...
.

Brown and black individuals had a lower level of OHL, indicating the presence of ethnic inequity, corroborating other studies that verified this issue among non-whites99. National Center for Education Statistics. What is NAAL? National Assessment of Adult Literacy [cited 2020 Aug 28]. Available from: http://www.nces.ed.gov/naal/.
http://www.nces.ed.gov/naal/...
, 2020. Atchison KA, Gironda MW, Messadi D, Der-Martirosian C. Screening for oral health literacy in an urban dental clinic. J Public Health Dent. 2010 Fall; 70(4):269-75. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2010.00181.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2010...

21. Jackson RD, Eckert GJ. Health literacy in an adult dental research population: a pilot study. J Public Health Dent. 2008 Fall; 68(4):196-200. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2007.00063.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2007...

22. Lee JY, Divaris K, Baker AD, Rozier RG, Lee SY, Vann WF Jr. Oral health literacy levels among a low-income WIC population. J Public Health Dent. 2011 Spring; 71(2):152-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2011.00244.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2011...
- 2323. Baskaradoss JK. Relationship between oral health literacy and oral health status. BMC Oral Health. 2018 Oct 24; 18(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s12903-018-0640-1.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-018-0640-...
, even considering a great variability in the studies design, in the composition of the samples, and in the instruments used. All of these studies suggest that patients that declared being brown or black may have greater difficulties in understanding health information, which shows the need to direct health improvement programs to these populations.

The association between low education and low OHL is well described in the literature2020. Atchison KA, Gironda MW, Messadi D, Der-Martirosian C. Screening for oral health literacy in an urban dental clinic. J Public Health Dent. 2010 Fall; 70(4):269-75. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2010.00181.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2010...
, 2222. Lee JY, Divaris K, Baker AD, Rozier RG, Lee SY, Vann WF Jr. Oral health literacy levels among a low-income WIC population. J Public Health Dent. 2011 Spring; 71(2):152-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2011.00244.x.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.2011...

23. Baskaradoss JK. Relationship between oral health literacy and oral health status. BMC Oral Health. 2018 Oct 24; 18(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s12903-018-0640-1.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-018-0640-...

24. Amirchaghmaghi M, Movahhed T, Mozaffari MP, Torkaman F, Ghazi A. Health literacy and its determinants in adult patients referred to dental clinics: a cross sectional study in Mashhad, Iran. Shiraz E-Med J. 2019; 20(9):e86582. doi: 10.5812/semj.86582.
https://doi.org/10.5812/semj.86582...
- 2525. Sistani MM, Yazdani R, Virtanen J, Pakdaman A, Murtomaa H. Oral health literacy and information sources among adults in Tehran, Iran. Community Dent Health. 2013 Sep; 30(3):178-82. . Therefore, the longer the years of study, the better the processes of understanding health information, reverberating in better levels of health and oral health literacy2626. Macek MD, Atchison KA, Chen H, Wells W, Haynes D, Parker RM, et al. Oral health conceptual knowledge and its relationships with oral health outcomes: findings from a multi-site health literacy study. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2017 Aug; 45(4):323-9. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12294.
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12294...
, 2727. Institute of Medicine. Advancing Oral Health in America. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2011. doi: 10.17226/13086.
https://doi.org/10.17226/13086....
. Our results corroborate this association in the context of primary health care in Brazil, a fact that brings new information for the planning of health teams working at this level of care and reinforce the importance of public health policies to focus on socially disadvantaged people in order to promote their acess to health services and resolution capacity2828. Castro MC, Massuda A, Almeida G, Menezes-Filho NA, Andrade MV, Noronha KVMS, et al. Brazil’s unified health system: the first 30 years and prospects for the future. Lancet. 2019 Jul; 394(10195):345-56. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31243-7.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31...
.

Among oral health behaviors, it was observed associations between smoking behaviour with low OHL, corroborating the fact that risky health choices can be associated with inadequate OHL. To our knowledge, very few studies have evaluated this variable as a predictor of OHL levels2323. Baskaradoss JK. Relationship between oral health literacy and oral health status. BMC Oral Health. 2018 Oct 24; 18(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s12903-018-0640-1.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-018-0640-...
, 2929. Fazli M, Yazdani R, Mohebbi SZ, Shamshiri AR. Oral health literacy and socio-demographics as determinants of oral health status and preventive behavior measures in participants of a pre-marriage counseling program. PLoS One. 2021 Nov; 16(11):e0258810. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258810.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.025...
, 3030. Ueno M, Takeuchi S, Oshiro A, Kawaguchi Y. Relationship between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors and clinica status in Japanese adults. J Dental Sci. 2013; 8(2):170-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jds.2012.09.012.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jds.2012.09.01...
, although others studies found associations with general health literacy3131. Fawns-Ritchie C, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Health literacy, cognitive ability and smoking: a cross-sectional analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. BMJ Open. 2018 Oct; 8(10):e023929. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023929.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023...

32. Svendsen MT, Bak CK, Sørensen K, Pelikan J, Riddersholm SJ, Skals RK, et al. Associations of health literacy with socioeconomic position, health risk behavior, and health status: a large national population-based survey among Danish adults. BMC Public Health. 2020 Apr; 20(1):565. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08498-8.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08498...
- 3333. Stewart DW, Adams CE, Cano MA, Correa-Fernández V, Li Y, Waters AJ, et al. Associations between health literacy and established predictors of smoking cessation. Am J Public Health. 2013 Jul; 103(7):e43-9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301062.
https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301062...
, a fact that should be investigated in future studies in larger populations. Considering that the use of cigarettes influences the activity of periodontal disease3434. Chang CH, Han ML, Teng NC, Lee CY, Huang WT, Lin CT, et al. Cigarette smoking aggravates the activity of periodontal disease by disrupting redox homeostasis- an observational study. Sci Rep. 2018 Jul; 8(1):11055. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29163-6.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-29163...
, it is assumed that low levels of OHL may be predictors of a worse periodontal condition, therefore, health professionals need to pay more attention in patients with low OHL levels.

In relation to the influence of source of information of health on OHL, it was observed that health professionals and internet presented considerable importance in the verified associations when model were adjusted for sex and age. However, they did not remain statistically significant with the outcome when adjusted for sex, age and income. Despite not remaining in the model 2 (p>0.05), the use of internet as the main source of health information presented a value very close to statistical significance (p=0.052). Some studies have shown that the internet and health professionals were the most sought-after sources of information on oral health2424. Amirchaghmaghi M, Movahhed T, Mozaffari MP, Torkaman F, Ghazi A. Health literacy and its determinants in adult patients referred to dental clinics: a cross sectional study in Mashhad, Iran. Shiraz E-Med J. 2019; 20(9):e86582. doi: 10.5812/semj.86582.
https://doi.org/10.5812/semj.86582...
. These results suggest that individuals with high OHL are more proactive on the search for health information but these hypotheses should be tested in future studies.

The variable brushing teeth more than once a day remained associated with OHL levels in the model adjusted for age and sex, but lost its significance in the income-adjusted model. Studies have shown that those who have better levels of health literacy also have better brushing habits1212. Batista MJ, Lawrence HP, Sousa MDLR. Oral health literacy and oral health outcomes in an adult population in Brazil. BMC Public Health. 2017 Jul; 18(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4443-0.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4443-...
, 3535. Rizqi TR, Thearmontree A. Relationship between health literacy and toothbrushing practice among young adults. J Int Oral Health 2020; 12(7):41-6. doi: 10.4103/jioh.jioh_163_19.
https://doi.org/10.4103/jioh.jioh_163_19...
This is probably a bidirectional relationship, as those who take better care of their oral health also seek more knowledge on the subject.

The above findings reinforce the influence of social determinants of health on OHL levels. Therefore, it highlights the importance of health professionals and services in providing accurate and easy-to-understand information to users in order to reduce health inequities.

Some of the limitations of this study include the use of an OHL instrument that has a limited capacity to assess wider aspects of OHL, as it assesses just functional, but not communicative and critical OHL3636. Nutbeam D. Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health Promot Int. 2020 Sep; 15(3):259-67. doi: 10.1093/heapro/15.3.259.
https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/15.3.259...
- 3737. Dickson-Swift V, Kenny A, Farmer J, Gussy M, Larkins S. Measuring oral health literacy: a scoping review of existing tools. BMC Oral Health. 2014 Dec; 14:148. doi: 10.1186/1472-6831-14-148.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6831-14-148...
. In addition, the variables included in the analysis, the measurement methods of behaviors variables and the self-reporting nature of data related to oral health outcomes are limitations of this study that should be overcome in future studies. Lastly, the results found in the selected sample may not reflect the reality of all adults in the city.

In conclusion, functional OHL, measured through the OLHA-B scores, was associated with skin color, educational level and smoking habits after adjusted by age, sex and income. Because OHL is associated with better health outcomes, actions to increase their levels based on individuals’ characteristics and their context should be considered by health professionals working on PHC with intersectorial partnerships.

Acknowledgments

The Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

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  • Data availability
    Datasets related to this article will be available upon request to the corresponding author.

Edited by

Editor: Altair A. Del Bel Cury

Data availability

Data availability

Datasets related to this article will be available upon request to the corresponding author.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    28 Aug 2023
  • Date of issue
    2023

History

  • Received
    14 June 2022
  • Accepted
    10 Oct 2022
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