IADR Abstract Archives
The Oral Health and Oral Health Related Impact on Quality of Life in an Adult Homeless Population of Cork: a Pilot Study
Objectives: In the Republic of Ireland, the homeless population has more than doubled during the last decade. Smile agus Sláinte (2019) aims to radically reorientate oral healthcare, aiming to reduce oral health inequalities. However, there is sparse evidence regarding the oral health of people experiencing homelessness. This pilot study aims to assess the oral health and oral health related impact on quality of life amongst homeless adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study of adults experiencing homelessness in Cork City, including clinical examination and interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted. A convenience sample was recruited in collaboration with homeless service providers. Ethical approval was granted by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching Hospitals.
Results: The sample consisted of 25 participants (response rate 37.9%). The study was conducted in a homeless shelter, supported accommodation and homless charity premises. The mean D3VCMFT of participants was 19.4 (95%CI 16.5, 22.3). The D3VCT% was 41.8%. Participants had poor oral hygiene and 70.8% had periodontal pocketing of 4mm or more. Eighty percent of participants experienced dental trauma. The participants most commonly reported oral health related impacts on quality of life were feeling embarrassed (60%), uncomfortable to eat (56%) feeling self-conscious (48%) and painful aching (48%). Reported barriers and facilitators to accessing oral healthcare included the structure of the oral healthcare system and characteristics of the participants themselves. The oral health of the participants was poorer than both the general housed population (Whelton et al., 2007) and another homeless population in Belfast (Collins and Freeman, 2007).
Conclusions: The homeless suffer extreme oral health inequalities. To achieve the goals of Smile agus Sláinte a foundation of high-quality epidemiological evidence is required. Further research will require extensive collaboration with homeless service providers and the wider health profession and should adopt a mixed methods approach seeking to inform the design of oral healthcare for the homeless.
Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study of adults experiencing homelessness in Cork City, including clinical examination and interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted. A convenience sample was recruited in collaboration with homeless service providers. Ethical approval was granted by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork Teaching Hospitals.
Results: The sample consisted of 25 participants (response rate 37.9%). The study was conducted in a homeless shelter, supported accommodation and homless charity premises. The mean D3VCMFT of participants was 19.4 (95%CI 16.5, 22.3). The D3VCT% was 41.8%. Participants had poor oral hygiene and 70.8% had periodontal pocketing of 4mm or more. Eighty percent of participants experienced dental trauma. The participants most commonly reported oral health related impacts on quality of life were feeling embarrassed (60%), uncomfortable to eat (56%) feeling self-conscious (48%) and painful aching (48%). Reported barriers and facilitators to accessing oral healthcare included the structure of the oral healthcare system and characteristics of the participants themselves. The oral health of the participants was poorer than both the general housed population (Whelton et al., 2007) and another homeless population in Belfast (Collins and Freeman, 2007).
Conclusions: The homeless suffer extreme oral health inequalities. To achieve the goals of Smile agus Sláinte a foundation of high-quality epidemiological evidence is required. Further research will require extensive collaboration with homeless service providers and the wider health profession and should adopt a mixed methods approach seeking to inform the design of oral healthcare for the homeless.