Impact of Oral Health on Falls Among Caregivers
Author Information
Author(s): Alshanbari Mohammed, Bouldin Erin, Alhazmi Hesham, Knapp Kenneth
Primary Institution: Department of Health Management and Medical Informatics, Health Sciences College at Al‐Leith, Umm Al‐Qura University
Hypothesis
Individuals and caregivers aged 45 years and older with poor oral health status and those who do not use oral health services regularly would experience more falls than individuals and caregivers with better oral health status and service use.
Conclusion
Maintaining good oral health and utilizing dental services may be associated with lower fall risks, particularly among caregivers.
Supporting Evidence
- Having one to five teeth removed was linked to an increased prevalence of falls.
- Caregivers had increased fall odds compared to non-caregivers.
- Dental visits in the past year were associated with a reduced fall risk for caregivers.
Takeaway
Taking care of your teeth can help you not fall down, especially if you help take care of others.
Methodology
Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed, focusing on individuals aged 45 years and older.
Potential Biases
Self-reported data may lead to misclassification errors.
Limitations
The study used self-reported data, which may include recollection errors, and it cannot establish cause-and-effect links due to its cross-sectional design.
Participant Demographics
Majority were aged 45-64 years, non-Hispanic White, and 61% were married.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.02–1.25
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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