Self-reported oral health of a metropolitan homeless population in Australia: comparisons with population-level data

• Published in: Australian dental journal Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 272 - 277
• Main Authors: Parker, EJ, Jamieson, LM, Steffens, MA, Cathro, P, Logan, RM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-09-2011; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Adelaide; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Care - statistics & numerical data; Dental health; Dental Restoration, Permanent - statistics & numerical data; Dentistry; Dentition; Educational Status; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Health Behavior; homeless adults; Homeless Persons; Housing; Humans; Income; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Needs Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Non tumoral diseases; Oral Health; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Public Assistance; Self Report; Self‐reported oral health; Sex Factors; Smoking; Socioeconomic factors; South Australia; Tooth Extraction - statistics & numerical data; Urban Population; Young Adult; Australia; Oceania; South Australia; Human; Oral cavity; Stomatology; Bucco-dental health; Dental disease; Adult; Dentistry; Self-reported oral health; homeless adults; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0045-0421; 1834-7819
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1834-7819.2011.01346.x

Background:  There is limited information on self‐perceived oral health of homeless populations. This study quantified self‐reported oral health among a metropolitan homeless adult population and compared against a representative sample of the metropolitan adult population obtained from the National Survey of Adult Oral Health.
Methods:  A total of 248 homeless participants (age range 17–78 years, 79% male) completed a self‐report questionnaire. Data for an age‐matched, representative sample of metropolitan‐dwelling adults were obtained from Australia’s second National Survey of Adult Oral Health. Percentage responses and 95% confidence intervals were calculated, with non‐overlapping 95% confidence intervals used to identify statistically significant differences between the two groups.
Results:  Homeless adults reported poorer oral health than their age‐matched general population counterparts. Twice as many homeless adults reported visiting a dentist more than a year ago and that their usual reason for dental attendance was for a dental problem. The proportion of homeless adults with a perceived need for fillings or extractions was also twice that of their age‐matched general population counterparts. Three times as many homeless adults rated their oral health as ‘fair’ or ‘poor’.
Conclusions:  A significantly greater proportion of homeless adults in an Australian metropolitan location reported poorer oral health compared with the general metropolitan adult population.