Prevalence of Medical Conditions and Medication Usage: Implications for Oral Health among Older Adults in Rural Victoria
Abstract
:Featured Application
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Participants
2.2. Data Collection
- (a)
- Socio-demographic: sex; age measured at the time of the examination and regrouped into three groups: ‘55 to 64’; ‘65 to 74’; and ‘75 and older’; and marital status, coded as ‘Single/Separated/divorced’; ‘Widow/widower’; and ‘Married/de facto’. Participants’ level of formal education was classified into the following categories: ‘Some secondary’, ‘Secondary complete’, ‘Trades’, ‘Tertiary education’, and ‘Other’.
- (b)
- Oral health questions included the self-assessed number of natural teeth recoded into two groups: ‘No teeth’ and ‘Partial/None missing’;
- (c)
- Medical history was assessed by asking participants’ medical history based on the presence or absence of 25 medical conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, heart conditions, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, allergies, hearing loss, kidney problems, liver diseases, diabetes, and depression. A health conditions score was computed by summing the number of positive responses to these conditions.
- (d)
- As part of the medical history, participants were questioned about their current medication regimen, including the number of medications they were taking. Additionally, they were prompted to list up to seven medications they were currently using. Subsequently, these medications were categorized according to their potential to induce xerostomia. These included medication for six conditions: heart conditions; high blood pressure; arthritis; anxiety; allergies; and sleeping medications [23];
- (e)
- Participants were also asked about various risk behaviors, including their alcohol and tobacco consumption habits. They were inquired about the frequency and quantity of alcohol they typically consume, as well as whether they are current or past smokers, and how many cigarettes they smoke per day [24,25];
- (f)
- To better understand the broader context of participants’ health and well-being, participants were queried about their involvement in social activities, such as participating in clubs, organizations, or community events, to gauge their level of community engagement and social support networks.
2.3. Data Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variables | ||
---|---|---|
Mean age (years) | 69.1 (SD = 9.2) | |
categories | % 1 | |
Sex | Male | 44.7 |
Female | 55.3 | |
Education | Some secondary | 49.6 |
Secondary complete | 8.2 | |
Trades | 13.3 | |
Tertiary | 18.2 | |
Other | 10.7 | |
Location | Benalla/Cobram/Seymour | 53.9 |
Shepparton/Mooroopna | 46.1 |
Variables | Categories | % 1 |
---|---|---|
Medical conditions | High blood pressure | 54.4 |
Arthritis | 49.2 | |
Allergies | 32.1 | |
Chronic pain | 28.2 | |
Depression | 23.0 | |
Diabetes | 14.9 | |
Cardiovascular disease | 12.9 | |
Respiratory disease | 21.2 | |
Cancer | 23.2 | |
Hearing loss | 35.2 | |
Eye problems | 93.5 | |
Disability feet and legs | 15.4 | |
Disability arms and fingers | 8.1 | |
Number of medical conditions | None | 0.2 |
One | 5.3 | |
Two | 6.6 | |
Three | 9.4 | |
Four | 10.9 | |
Five | 10.4 | |
Six | 11.6 | |
Seven or more | 46.9 |
Variables | Categories | % 1 |
---|---|---|
Number of medications | None | 0.9 |
One | 24.2 | |
Two | 19.5 | |
Three | 16.1 | |
Four | 10.9 | |
Five | 10.2 | |
Six or more | 19.2 | |
Number of medications that may affect xerostomia | None | 20.1 |
One | 44.6 | |
Two | 25.0 | |
Three or more | 10.3 |
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Mariño, R.; Glenister, K.; Bourke, L.; Simmons, D. Prevalence of Medical Conditions and Medication Usage: Implications for Oral Health among Older Adults in Rural Victoria. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 7270. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14167270
Mariño R, Glenister K, Bourke L, Simmons D. Prevalence of Medical Conditions and Medication Usage: Implications for Oral Health among Older Adults in Rural Victoria. Applied Sciences. 2024; 14(16):7270. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14167270
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariño, Rodrigo, Kristen Glenister, Lisa Bourke, and David Simmons. 2024. "Prevalence of Medical Conditions and Medication Usage: Implications for Oral Health among Older Adults in Rural Victoria" Applied Sciences 14, no. 16: 7270. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14167270