Author(s)

Popie Damaskinos, Charitini Koletsi-Kounari¹, Helen Mamai-Homata, William Papaioannou

Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Background: Many studies examined and reported oral and general health inequalities in clinical health, SROH and SRH. Objectives: The study aims to explore the social influences, gradients and predictors of self-rated oral health (SROH) and self-rated health (SRH) and wellbeing in Greek adults. Methods: Cross-sectional study, of men and women, aged 65 years and over (N = 743) in Greece. Descriptive and statistical analyses were performed for dentate and edentulous participants. For the association between socioeconomic exposures and binary outcomes, logistic regression was performed to estimate Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals (OR, 95% CI); levels of association and Cramer’s V were applied to calculate associations and p-values. Results: The objective socioeconomic measures, such as household income, education level and last main occupation were significant predictors and determinants of both SROH and self-rated health (SRH). For Satisfaction with life (SWL), there was a diversity in the results analogous to the dental status of the participants. Household income and SSS were predictors of SWL in dentate participants. In the total sample Household income, occupation and SSS, were predictors of SWL, while in edentulous participants only occupation and SSS were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Subjective social status was statistically significant for SROH, SRH and SWL (p < 0.01). More men than women reported their SROH and SRH as good. Household income and SSS were predictors of SWL, in dentate participants, thus the better the income and the higher the relative social status, the higher feeling of SWL was recorded. Place of residence had significant associations only with SWL. Household income, education, occupation and SSS had significant levels of association with SROH and SRH in dentate participants (p < 0.05). Conclusion: There are socioeconomic gradient inequalities in SROH and SRH in Greek adults living in Attica area. Subjective social status is a predictor of SROH, SRH and SWL. The need to prioritize interventions to eliminate disparities and inequalities in oral and general health and wellbeing of elders is evident.

Self-Rated Oral Health, Self-Rated Health, Inequalities, Satisfaction with Life, Subjective Social Status

Damaskinos, P. , Koletsi-Kounari, C. , Mamai-Homata, H. and Papaioannou, W. (2022) Social, Clinical and Psychometric Factors Affecting Self-Rated Oral Health, Self-Rated Health and Wellbeing in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Health, 14, 104-124. doi: 10.4236/health.2022.141009.