Association of Sociodemographic Factors with Oral Health Literacy in Patients Presenting to Dental Teaching Hospital

Oral Health Literacy in Dental Patients

Abstract

Background: Oral health literacy is associated with improved oral health outcomes and can aid in formulation of health education materials catered to population's comprehension level. Objective: The study aims to evaluate oral health literacy among dental patients and its association with sociodemographic factors. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: Dental teaching hospital of University of Lahore, Lahore Pakistan. Duration: June to September 2019. Methods: The study employing an Urdu-translated HeLD-14 questionnaire to assess oral health literacy. Data was collected from patients presenting to the outpatient department of a dental teaching hospital in Lahore. The questionnaire measured seven domains of oral health literacy on a five-point Likert scale along with demographic variables. The association of demographic variables with items of the domain was assessed through Chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests. Results: 250 patients had a mean HeLD score of 41.24 ± 12.36. About 52.8% of participants could read dental information without effort. Only 34.8% could ask for support with a dental appointment and 34.6% could look for a second opinion without difficulty. Approximately 39.6% could pay for a dental visit and 37.9% could attend to their dental health needs without difficulty. Significant associations for age, gender, education, and occupation were obtained for different items in domains of access, understanding, utilization, communication, and economic barriers. Conclusion: Participants reported moderate oral health literacy. Notably, females showed better comprehension of dental information and higher education was associated with better utilization of dental services and decision-making capabilities. These findings highlight the need for tailored oral health literacy interventions to enhance oral health related quality of life.