OBJECTIVES: To determine oral health literacy (OHL) levels and explore potential racial differences in a low-income population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of caregiver/child dyads that completed a structured 30-minute in-person interview conducted by two trained interviewers in seven counties in North Carolina. Sociodemographic, OHL, and dental health-related data were collected. OHL was measured with a dental word recognition test [Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30)]. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate methods were used to examine the distribution of OHL and explore racial differences. RESULTS: Of 1658 eligible subjects, 1405 (85 percent) participated and completed the interviews. The analytic sample (N=1280) had mean age 26.5 (standard deviation = 6.9) years with 60 percent having a high school degree or less. OHL varied between racial groups as follows: Whites--mean score = 17.4 (SE = 0.2); African-American (AA)--mean score = 15.3 [standard error (SE) = 0.2]; American Indian (AI)--mean score = 13.7 (SE = 0.3). Multiple linear regression revealed that after controlling for education, county of residence, age, and Hispanic ethnicity, Whites had 2.0 points (95 percent CI = 1.4, 2.6) higher adjusted REALD-30 score versus AA and AI. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in OHL levels between racial groups persisted after adjusting for education and sociodemographic characteristics.
OBJECTIVES: To determine oral health literacy (OHL) levels and explore potential racial differences in a low-income population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of caregiver/child dyads that completed a structured 30-minute in-person interview conducted by two trained interviewers in seven counties in North Carolina. Sociodemographic, OHL, and dental health-related data were collected. OHL was measured with a dental word recognition test [Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-30)]. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate methods were used to examine the distribution of OHL and explore racial differences. RESULTS: Of 1658 eligible subjects, 1405 (85 percent) participated and completed the interviews. The analytic sample (N=1280) had mean age 26.5 (standard deviation = 6.9) years with 60 percent having a high school degree or less. OHL varied between racial groups as follows: Whites--mean score = 17.4 (SE = 0.2); African-American (AA)--mean score = 15.3 [standard error (SE) = 0.2]; American Indian (AI)--mean score = 13.7 (SE = 0.3). Multiple linear regression revealed that after controlling for education, county of residence, age, and Hispanic ethnicity, Whites had 2.0 points (95 percent CI = 1.4, 2.6) higher adjusted REALD-30 score versus AA and AI. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in OHL levels between racial groups persisted after adjusting for education and sociodemographic characteristics.
Authors: J A Gazmararian; D W Baker; M V Williams; R M Parker; T L Scott; D C Green; S N Fehrenbach; J Ren; J P Koplan Journal: JAMA Date: 1999-02-10 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Kimon Divaris; Jessica Y Lee; A Diane Baker; Ziya Gizlice; R Gary Rozier; Darren A DeWalt; William F Vann Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2014-04-21 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: A G Brega; J F Thomas; W G Henderson; T S Batliner; D O Quissell; P A Braun; A Wilson; L L Bryant; K J Nadeau; J Albino Journal: Health Educ Res Date: 2015-11-26