Prevalence and Associated Factors of Edentulism among Elderly Muslims in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of edentulism and its associated factors among elderly Muslims in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Study design: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 506 randomly selected community-dwelling elderly patients aged 60 years and older in the district of Badang, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The participants who consented were interviewed for sociodemographic information and followed by an oral examination to record edentulism. Results: The prevalence of edentulism was 55.9% (95% CI=51.67, 60.50). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that older age groups of the elderly, 70-79 years and 80 years and older, were more likely to be edentulous, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] =1.2, 3.1) and OR=4.0 (95% CI=2.0, 8.1) respectively, compared to the younger elderly 60-69 years old. Women are more likely to be edentulous (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.3, 3.1). Conclusion: Older women are more likely to be edentulous. More efforts are required to promote retention of teeth among younger women so that this cohort will not be edentulous when its members reach old age.