Oral health literacy and socio-demographics as determinants of oral health status and preventive behavior measures in participants of a pre-marriage counseling program

Abstract

This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to assess the correlation of oral health literacy (OHL) and oral health status and behavior in participants of a pre-marriage counseling program. Also, it aimed to determine the target population’s OHL needs to design necessary interventions. A total of 828 couples with a mean age of 24.22 years participating in a pre-marriage counseling program were evaluated. Data were collected using the oral health literacy-adult questionnaire (OHL-AQ). Clinical oral examinations were performed to measure the gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), and DMFT. The mean OHL score of the couples was 7.86±3.83 out of 17; while, the mean DMFT score was 6.30±5.73. After controlling for the confounders, OHL had a significant correlation with the frequency of dental visits, and smoking status, and inverse correlation with the number of decayed teeth and missing teeth, and PI, and GI (p<0.05). The current results highlight the necessity of OHL interventions to fill the existing gaps. This is an unmet need of the couples, and such interventions are required to promote their own oral health as well as the oral health of their future children.