TY - JOUR
T1 - Do sociodemographic factors influence the levels of health and oral literacy? A cross-sectional study
AU - Veladas, Francisco Manuel Veigas
AU - De la Torre Canales, Giancarlo
AU - de Souza Nobre, Bryanne Brissian
AU - Escoval, Ana
AU - Pedro, Ana Rita
AU - de Almeida, André Mariz
AU - Assunção, Victor Abreu
AU - Manso, Ana Cristina
N1 - © 2023. The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12/20
Y1 - 2023/12/20
N2 - Background: Oral health literacy has gained importance in dental literature, and its relationship with oral health status and association with health status (HL) has been reported. Then, an association between the levels of HL and OHL could be expected. This study aimed to assess the levels of HL and OHL according to sociodemographic factors and to explore a possible association between HL and OHL. Methods: The European Health Literacy Survey and Oral Health Literacy Adults Questionnaire were applied to a convenience sample from Portuguese individuals. Also, sociodemographic factors such as sex, age, schooling level of the participants and their parents, and if the participants were professionals or students of the health field were assessed. To analyze the data, the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compared sociodemographic variables and the levels of literacy in general and oral health. The Spearman correlation test assessed the correlation between the levels of HL and OHL. Results: HL results showed that 45.1% of the volunteers were considered in a “problematic level” and 10.3% in “excellent level”. However, 75% presented an adequate level of OHL. Regarding the levels of HL in each sociodemographic variable, significant higher levels of “excellent level” were found in health professionals and students when compared with participants not related to health area (p < 0.001). Comparisons between the levels of OHL in each sociodemographic variable showed, significant differences regarding sex (p < 0.05), age (p < 0.001), levels of schooling of the participants and their parents (p < 0.009 and p < 0.001) and relationship with health field. (p < 0.001). A significant positive – weak correlation was found between HL and OHL (p < 0.001). Conclusions: HL and OHL levels are associated and could be influenced by sociodemographic factors.
AB - Background: Oral health literacy has gained importance in dental literature, and its relationship with oral health status and association with health status (HL) has been reported. Then, an association between the levels of HL and OHL could be expected. This study aimed to assess the levels of HL and OHL according to sociodemographic factors and to explore a possible association between HL and OHL. Methods: The European Health Literacy Survey and Oral Health Literacy Adults Questionnaire were applied to a convenience sample from Portuguese individuals. Also, sociodemographic factors such as sex, age, schooling level of the participants and their parents, and if the participants were professionals or students of the health field were assessed. To analyze the data, the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compared sociodemographic variables and the levels of literacy in general and oral health. The Spearman correlation test assessed the correlation between the levels of HL and OHL. Results: HL results showed that 45.1% of the volunteers were considered in a “problematic level” and 10.3% in “excellent level”. However, 75% presented an adequate level of OHL. Regarding the levels of HL in each sociodemographic variable, significant higher levels of “excellent level” were found in health professionals and students when compared with participants not related to health area (p < 0.001). Comparisons between the levels of OHL in each sociodemographic variable showed, significant differences regarding sex (p < 0.05), age (p < 0.001), levels of schooling of the participants and their parents (p < 0.009 and p < 0.001) and relationship with health field. (p < 0.001). A significant positive – weak correlation was found between HL and OHL (p < 0.001). Conclusions: HL and OHL levels are associated and could be influenced by sociodemographic factors.
KW - Health Literacy
KW - Oral Health Literacy
KW - Sociodemographic factors
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Humans
KW - Adult
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Oral Health
KW - Sociodemographic Factors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180176456&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12889-023-17489-4
DO - 10.1186/s12889-023-17489-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 38124052
AN - SCOPUS:85180176456
SN - 1472-698X
VL - 23
SP - 2543
JO - BMC Public Health
JF - BMC Public Health
IS - 1
M1 - 2543
ER -