TY  - JOUR
AU  - Heaton, Lisa J.
AU  - Santoro, Morgan
AU  - Tiwari, Tamanna
AU  - Preston, Rebecca
AU  - Schroeder, Kelly
AU  - Randall, Cameron L.
AU  - Sonnek, Adrianna
AU  - Tranby, Eric P.
PY  - 2024
TI  - Mental Health, Socioeconomic Position, and Oral Health: A Path Analysis
T2  - Preventing Chronic Disease
JO  - Prev Chronic Dis
SP  - E76
VL  - 21
CY  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
N2  - INTRODUCTION  Mental health conditions and poor oral health outcomes share bidirectional links, and both are linked to factors related to socioeconomic position (SEP). We used nationally representative survey data to describe the complex interplay of SEP, mental health, oral health behaviors, dental treatment seeking, and oral health. METHODS  We used data from the 2022 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey, which collects data from US adults on prior depression diagnosis and current depressive symptoms via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and demographic characteristics (age, sex/gender, race, ethnicity), SEP (education, income, employment, home ownership, dental insurance), oral health behaviors (brushing and flossing frequency), dental treatment seeking (time since last visit, plans for visit in the coming year), and self-rated oral health (feeling self-conscious due to poor oral health, having symptoms of poor oral health). We used structural equation modeling to identify latent variables and fit the path analytic models. RESULTS  In the total sample (N = 5,682), SEP was significantly associated with dental treatment seeking (standardized parameter estimate [SE] = 0.55 [0.05]), oral health behaviors (standardized parameter estimate [SE] = 0.34 [0.04]), and mental health (standardized parameter estimate [SE]  = 0.59 [0.05]). These factors, in turn, were significantly associated with self-rated oral health (estimates ranging from 0.20 to 0.54, SEs ranging from 0.04 to 0.05). CONCLUSION  SEP, which involves several major social determinants of health, is directly associated with mental health and indirectly associated with self-rated oral health status, with mental health modifying the relationship between SEP and self-rated oral health. Findings emphasize the need to integrate medical, dental, and behavioral health with the goal of providing comprehensive person-centered care.
SN  - 1545-1151
UR  - https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd21.240097
DO  - 10.5888/pcd21.240097
ER  -