September 2011

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the clinical and socio-demographic factors influencing oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of the Chinese elderly. Methods: Two urban districts in Binzhou, Shandong Province, Eastern China were selected and 300 elders aged 60-80 years were recruited. The study subjects completed a structured questionnaire in an interview and underwent a clinical examination. The questionnaire included questions on socio-economic information and a Putonghua version of the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) which had been validated for use in Chinese elders to evaluate their OHRQoL. Clinical examination was performed using the criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. Tooth status, periodontal health status, loss of attachment (LOA), and number of occluding tooth pairs were recorded. Duplicate examinations were conducted on 10% of the subjects. Results: The mean GOHAI score of the subjects was 46.0 (SD 8.5). Result of an ANCOVA showed that subjects who were older, had no root caries, had no tooth with LOA≥6mm, or had more occluding pairs had higher GOHAI scores indicating better OHRQoL. Conclusion: The OHRQoL of the study elders was fair and was influenced by age and a number of clinical factors. With limited resources and dental manpower in China, higher priority should be given to the elders who are relatively younger, who have or are at high risk of developing root caries and advanced periodontal diseases, and who have few occluding tooth pairs. Key words: oral health, quality of life, China, elderly, epidemiology