Survey on oral health literacy and analysis of influencing factors among elderly patients with dentition defects
MIN Yudi
LI Ying
XIAO Rui
LUO Wei
Abstract：Objective To systematically assess the oral health literacy level of elderly patients with dental arch defects and thoroughly investigate its influencing factors,so as to provide a basis for developing precise oral health education and intervention measures.Methods A total of 578 elderly patients with dental arch defects treated in who attended the Department of Stomatology at Peking University People's Hospital from January 2024 to June 2025 were enrolled through convenience sampling.Basic patient information was collected using a general information questionnaire,and oral health literacy was assessed using the short-form Health Literacy Dental Scale(HeLD-14).Univariate analysis was used to compare HeLD-14 scores among elderly patients with different characteristics,and a multiple linear regression model was employed to identify key influencing factors.Results The mean HeLD-14 score among 578 elderly patients with dentition defects was 44.15±10.80.Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in HeLD-14 total scores according to medical insurance type,educational level,annual income,smoking status,and duration of dentition defect(all P<0.05).Subsequent multiple linear regression analysis identified educational level,annual income,smoking habit,and duration of dentition defect as independent predictors significantly associated with oral health literacy levels in this population(P<0.05).Conclusion The oral health literacy of elderly patients with dental arch defects is at a moderate level,with a total HeLD-14 score of[(44.15±10.80)points].Education level,annual income,smoking habit,and duration of dental arch defects are key predictors.It is recommended to build a precise oral health intervention system focusing on education empowerment,behavior correction,and timeliness of restoration,forming a multi-factor collaborative intervention pathway.
Keywords：elderly patientspartial tooth lossoral health literacyoral healthinfluencing factors
Publication Date：2026-01-20
Online Publishing Date：2026-02-04(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 25-30 )