The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56540

Elaine Jurkowski, PhD, School of Social Work, Southern Illinois University, Quigley 4, M/C 4329, Carbondale, IL 62901, Charla J. Lautar, PhD, Health Care Professions, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, M/C 6615, Carbondale, IL 62901, 618-453-7211, cjlautar@siu.edu, and Tsukasa Okino, Department of Health Education, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, M/C 4329, Carbondale, IL 62901.

Rural communities typically have limited access to oral health services due to a variety of factors including transportation, access to care and awareness of the importance and value of oral health. This study set out to compare various aspects of the oral health status of older adults (55 years and older) within three specific clinics, a University based dental hygiene "teaching" clinic and a Federally Qualified Health Clinic and a Public Aid Clinic following a community based intervention to improve awareness and access to care. Patterns of decayed, missing, restored rates, periodontal pockets, and other oral health conditions relative to payer, gender and race were examined to identify trends, similarities and differences. The intervention included public information and awareness, patient education and screenings at senior nutrition sites and assisted living facilities. Preliminary data suggest that the number of existing natural teeth accounts for 52% of the variance of periodontal disease and that there were no significant differences when comparing baseline to time two (four years later) in oral health status. There was a difference however in the reasons for visits between the two time periods. Implications of the findings will be important in the development of education and public health prevention strategies within rural and developing communities for older adults through non-traditional oral health venues such as case managers and the aging services network.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.To identify if oral health care for older adults who are low income or Medicaid eligible is accessed through either a Federally Qualified Health Clinic or University based “teaching” clinic following community intervention efforts to promote awareness.
• 2.To compare various aspects of oral health status of older adults, within a rural based community, who access either a Federally Qualified Health Clinic or a University based “teaching” clinic before and after community based interventions.
• 3.To compare various aspects of oral health status between groups served through different clinic settings.

Keywords: Access and Services, Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.