The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
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 liter...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/12/1804 |
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| author | Faisal F. Hakeem Ismail Abdouh Hatem Hazzaa Hamadallah Yunus Osama Alarabi Abdulrahman Saad Almuzaini Majed Maher Abdullah Ammar Abdulrahman Altarjami |
| author_facet | Faisal F. Hakeem Ismail Abdouh Hatem Hazzaa Hamadallah Yunus Osama Alarabi Abdulrahman Saad Almuzaini Majed Maher Abdullah Ammar Abdulrahman Altarjami |
| author_sort | Faisal F. Hakeem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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, <i>p</i> < 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, <i>p</i> < 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, <i>p</i> = 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, <i>p</i> = 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. |
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| id | doaj.art-0333e2e9a7c9465d82d22b3cb16476d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:24:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-0333e2e9a7c9465d82d22b3cb16476d32023-11-18T10:39:21ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-06-011112180410.3390/healthcare11121804The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional StudyFaisal F. Hakeem0Ismail Abdouh1Hatem Hazzaa Hamadallah2Yunus Osama Alarabi3Abdulrahman Saad Almuzaini4Majed Maher Abdullah5Ammar Abdulrahman Altarjami6Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Oral Basic and Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42313, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Dentistryand Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Dentistryand Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Dentistryand Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Dentistryand Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Dentistryand Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi ArabiaObjective: 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, <i>p</i> < 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, <i>p</i> < 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, <i>p</i> = 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, <i>p</i> = 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/12/1804oral healtheHealth literacyhealth literacyhealth behaviortooth lossbrushing frequency |
| spellingShingle | Faisal F. Hakeem Ismail Abdouh Hatem Hazzaa Hamadallah Yunus Osama Alarabi Abdulrahman Saad Almuzaini Majed Maher Abdullah Ammar Abdulrahman Altarjami The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study Healthcare oral health eHealth literacy health literacy health behavior tooth loss brushing frequency |
| title | The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | The Association between Electronic Health Literacy and Oral Health Outcomes among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | association between electronic health literacy and oral health outcomes among dental patients in saudi arabia a cross sectional study |
| topic | oral health eHealth literacy health literacy health behavior tooth loss brushing frequency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/12/1804 |
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