Social support and optimism in relation to the oral health of young adults

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors largely external to the individual—such as social support and those that are inherently dispositional, like optimism—may both play a role in determining oral health outcomes and serve to buffer the effect of each other. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess associations of social support and optimism on oral health. METHOD: In 2005–2006, n=1,859 persons around 30 years old were surveyed to collect data on social support, optimism, oral health-related quality of life, and caries experience. RESULTS: Unadjusted analyses found high social support associated (P<0.05) with fewer (mean±SE) decayed teeth(0.6±0.1) and less negative impact on quality of life (2.7± 0.2) compared to low support (1.0±0.2 and 4.5±0.4 respectively). High optimism was associated with fewer missing teeth (2.1±0.2) and less negative impact on quality of life (2.1±0.2) compared to low optimism (2.9±0.2 and 3.8±0.2, respectively). Multivariate regressions adjusted for dental visiting, toothbrushing, sex, income, work status and education showed social support and optimism had (P<0.05) negative associations with missing teeth (β=−1.0) and caries experience (β=−1.5) for high support/high optimism compared to low support/low optimism. All three non-reference combinations of support/optimism showed negative associations(β=−1.6 to −2.4) with impact of problems compared to low support/low optimism. CONCLUSIONS: Social support and optimism were associated with oral health. Impact of dental problems showed buffering of high support when optimism was low, and high optimism when support was low.