A qualitative study on the influences of oral health problems

Objectives: To investigate the influences of oral health problems on daily life and life quality among Chinese older adults using a qualitative approach. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among older adults aged 55+ years. Subjects were recruited from a dental teaching hospital and 8 elderly social centers in Hong Kong. Information on the oral health problems the subjects experienced and how these problems influenced their daily lives and life quality was collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded and then transcribed. With the aid of computer software, thematic content analysis was undertaken using the framework approach to identify the dimensions of the perceived impacts of oral health problems. Results: A total of 20 women and 19 men were interviewed. The reported oral health problems included dental caries, toothache, food catching, fractured teeth, missing teeth, unfit dentures and periodontal diseases. The perceived impacts of these problems mainly focused on compromised physical function (e.g. discomfort in chewing and limitation of food intake) and psychological aspects (e.g. worry about progression of the oral disorders). However, they seldom reported social impacts. When asked about the components of life quality, the older adults accorded family, finance, housing and general health a much higher priority than oral health. Thus the reported impacts of oral health problems did not have much influence on their life quality. Conclusion: Oral health problems can have impacts on older Chinese adults but these impacts do not necessarily compromise the adult's life quality.