Subjective and normative aspects of dental treatment need in brazilian elderly / Aspectos subjetivos e normativos sobre necessidade de tratamento odontologico em idosos brasileiros

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

The demographic transition in which Brazil has been rising in recent years is a consequence, among other indicators, of the mortality rate reducing, the fall in fertility rate and increased life expectancy, which produces the effect of a worldwide phenomenon known as "population aging". This dynamic demographic and epidemiological present at least two objects of study to be considered in searches in public health: the aging human (with its characteristics and consequences) and the living and health conditions of the elderly. Among the various areas of health, oral health among the elderly is in precarious conditions with high prevalence of edentulousness (total absence of teeth), periodontal diseases, needs to use prostheses and their poor adaptation. Knowing how individuals perceive their own health is an important step to understanding the pattern of demand for a health service. Moreover, it is important to know how subjective criteria and standards of need for dental treatment are related to offer a service consistent with the need identified. Thus, the purpose of this study was to know the characteristics and factors related to the perceived need for dental treatment for elderly Brazilians in relation to normative criteria of need determined by clinical and epidemiological examination carried out by dentists. This was an approach of the results in national epidemiological survey of oral health in 2003. With respect to the elderly (65 to 74 years old) who participated in this survey, group-index of the World Health Organization (WHO), the total size of the sample was 5349 individuals. We analyzed the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive values of the need for dental treatment perceived by the elderly in relation to the normative criterion of necessity recorded by the dentist. Models of Poisson regression, with robust estimate of variance were conducted to identify the variables involved in individual self-perception of the need for dental treatment. The results showed that the greatest proportion of concordance was for the elderly without edentulism which required dental treatment in one or more teeth. The greatest sensitivity was the need for crown and the greater specificity was the need for lower total prosthetic. The variables associated with the subjective need for dental treatment were different for edentulism and without edentulism. These findings are very important for planning the provision of oral health for the population, providing an important estimate on the main problems that these individuals require and how many need of caring

ASSUNTO(S)

elderly saúde bucal oral health idosos autopercepção self concept

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