Association of personality traits with oral health-related quality of life independently of objective oral health status: A study of community-dwelling elderly Japanese

Hajime Takeshita, Kazunori Ikebe, Ryosuke Kagawa, Tadashi Okada, Yasuyuki Gondo, Takeshi Nakagawa, Yoshiko Ishioka, Chisato Inomata, Sayaka Tada, Ken Ichi Matsuda, Yuko Kurushima, Kaori Enoki, Kei Kamide, Yukie Masui, Ryutaro Takahashi, Yasumichi Arai, Yoshinobu Maeda

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is being increasingly used in epidemiologic studies of dentistry. However, patient-reported OHRQoL does not always coincide with clinical measures. Previous studies have shown a relationship between OHRQoL and personality, but did not concomitantly investigate oral function. We aimed to examine the association among personality traits, oral function, and OHRQoL using a large sample of community-dwelling Japanese elderly. Methods The participants (n = 938; age, 69-71 years) were drawn from a complete enumeration of an urban area and a rural area of both the Tokyo metropolitan area and Hyogo Prefecture. The self-perceived impact of OHRQoL was measured using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). The oral status and socioeconomic characteristics were recorded in each participant, and personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) were assessed with the NEO-five-factor inventory. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships between OHRQoL and other factors, with p < 0.05 considered to be statistically significant. Results Neuroticism was negatively associated with the GOHAI score in bivariate analyses (Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient (rs) = -0.20), whereas extraversion was positively associated (rs = 0.17). In the regression analyses, neuroticism (standardized partial regression coefficient (β) = -0.179) and extraversion (β = 0.094) were significantly associated with the GOHAI scores independently of the number of teeth, maximal occlusal force, and financial status. Conclusions Personality traits are associated with OHRQoL independently of objective measures of oral health status in community-dwelling elderly Japanese. Clinical significance This study showed personality traits are associated with OHRQoL independently of dental status and oral function in old Japanese people. As elderly patients undergo increasingly complex dental treatments, there is a need to evaluate patient personality traits prior to dental treatment and predict patient expectations and responses to planned treatment. This is advantageous in determining the most appropriate therapy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)342-349
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Dentistry
Volume43
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015 Mar 1

Keywords

  • Elderly people
  • Multivariate analysis
  • Occlusal force
  • Personality traits
  • Quality of life

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dentistry(all)

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