Social relationships and dental care service utilization among older adults

TitleSocial relationships and dental care service utilization among older adults
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsBurr, JA, Lee, HJung
JournalJournal of Aging and Health
Volume25
Issue2
Pagination191-220
KeywordsAdult children, Demographics, Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Methodology
Abstract

This study described the association between dental care service utilization and two domains of social relationships (social integration and social support) among older adults. The study employed data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study, examining regression models for whether a person visited a dentist in the past 2 years, including adjustments for demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Social interaction, social participation, neighborhood cohesion, and marital status were related to an increased likelihood of having visited a dentist. Older persons exhibiting loneliness and having received financial aid from network members demonstrated a decreased likelihood of visiting a dentist. The increased likelihood of visiting a dentist when a child lives nearby only occurred after introducing health covariates. The article discusses the implications of the study findings as they relate to social relationships and oral health and recommends some additional research directions to explore the etiology of dental care use.

DOI10.1177/0898264312464497
Endnote Keywords

Personal relationships/dental care service utilization/COGNITIVE FUNCTION/Dental care/Social interaction/social integration/HELP-SEEKING/social relationships/CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE/HEALTH POLICY/SERVICES/HEALTH-SERVICES/PERIODONTAL-DISEASE/MEDICAL-CARE/TOOTH LOSS/ORAL-HEALTH/Older people/Regression analysis/UNITED-STATES/social support/BEHAVIORAL-MODEL/Health and Retirement Study/GERONTOLOGY/Dental Care - utilization

Endnote ID

69082

Citation Key7836