We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.
- Authors
Hakeem, Faisal F.; Abdouh, Ismail; Hamadallah, Hatem Hazzaa; Alarabi, Yunus Osama; Almuzaini, Abdulrahman Saad; Abdullah, Majed Maher; Altarjami, Ammar Abdulrahman
- Abstract
Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between electronic health (eHealth) literacy and oral health outcomes, including the number of teeth and brushing frequency. Methods: A total of 478 participants were included in the study and assessed for their eHealth literacy levels. Demographic variables, including age, gender, income, and education, were collected. The participants' number of teeth and brushing frequency were also recorded. Multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between eHealth literacy and oral health outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Results: The study sample consisted of both males (66.5%) and females (33.5%), with a mean age of 31.95 years. Among the participants, 16.95% were classified as having inadequate eHealth literacy, 24.06% had problematic eHealth literacy, and the majority (59.00%) demonstrated sufficient eHealth literacy. There was a significant association between eHealth literacy and oral health outcomes. Individuals with problematic eHealth literacy had a higher likelihood of having a greater number of teeth (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05–1.20, p < 0.001) compared to those with inadequate eHealth literacy. Similarly, individuals with sufficient eHealth literacy showed a higher likelihood of having more teeth (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07–1.21, p < 0.001) compared to the inadequate eHealth literacy group controlling for age, gender, income, and education. Individuals with problematic eHealth literacy exhibited a tendency towards lower odds of irregular brushing (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.15–1.02, p = 0.054), although this result was marginally significant. In contrast, individuals with sufficient eHealth literacy had significantly lower odds of irregular brushing frequency (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10–0.62, p = 0.003) compared to the inadequate eHealth literacy group. Conclusion: The findings suggest a positive association between eHealth literacy and oral health outcomes. Improving eHealth literacy may have implications for promoting better oral health behaviors and outcomes.
- Subjects
SAUDI Arabia; EVALUATION of medical care; CONFIDENCE intervals; TOOTH loss; ORAL health; TOOTH care &; hygiene; CROSS-sectional method; DENTAL care; REGRESSION analysis; HEALTH literacy; PATIENTS' attitudes; HEALTH; INFORMATION resources; HEALTH behavior; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors; ODDS ratio; TELEMEDICINE
- Publication
Healthcare (2227-9032), 2023, Vol 11, Issue 12, p1804
- ISSN
2227-9032
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/healthcare11121804