Trends and Trajectories of Oral Health Among Older Americans: The Role of Cognit

描述（由申请人提供）：口腔健康是美国老年人健康和幸福的重要组成部分，但往往被忽视。与年轻人相比，老年人的口腔疾病发病率和流行率都有所增加。无论是在人群还是个人层面上，人们对晚年口腔健康变化的模式知之甚少。此外，很少有研究检查可能与口腔健康变化相关的因素，如认知功能。本研究有以下具体目的：(1)研究和预测美国老年人口腔健康趋势的种族/民族和社会经济差异；(2)研究老年人口腔健康状况变化的个体内差异和个体间差异；(3)横断面分析认知功能与口腔健康的关系；(4)通过纵向数据分析，评估老年人认知功能与口腔健康之间的联系。本研究在以下几个方面具有创新性：1)采用最先进的分析方法分析人口趋势和预测，以及个人口腔健康轨迹；2)检查口腔健康趋势和轨迹的种族/民族和社会经济差异；3)关注具有一系列认知功能的个体（从潜在痴呆个体到认知正常个体）；4)在控制其他重要协变量的情况下，检验认知功能与口腔健康之间的联系；5)使用多个完善的数据集，包括具有全国和区域代表性的样本，这些数据集是纵向或横断面的，以比较和确认各种数据集之间口腔健康的模式和预测因素。我们希望我们的研究能够更好地了解口腔健康恶化的机制及其危险因素。反过来，我们的研究可能为有效和创新的做法提供策略，以防止口腔健康恶化。由于将使用二手数据，因此拟议的研究是实现我们目标的一种非常经济有效的方法。与公共卫生相关：与公共卫生相关美国老年人数量和比例的增长使得老年口腔健康成为本研究将解决的日益重要的公共卫生问题。这项研究将有助于制定有效的预防和干预策略。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Oral health is a critical but often overlooked component of health and well-being in older Americans. Compared to younger individuals, elderly people have an increased incidence and prevalence of oral diseases. Little is known about the patterns of oral health changes in late life at either the population or the individual level. In addition, few studies have examined factors, such as cognitive function, that may be associated with oral health changes. This study has the following specific aims: (1) examine and project racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in oral health trends among older Americans; (2) examine the intra- and inter-individual differences of change in oral health among older adults; (3) cross-sectionally analyze the relationship between cognitive function and oral health; and (4) assess the linkage between cognitive function and oral health among older adults by conducting longitudinal data analysis. This proposed research is innovative in several respects: 1) state-of-the-art analytic approach to analyses on population trends and projections, and individual trajectories of oral health; 2) examination of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in oral health trends and trajectories; 3) focus on individuals with a range of cognitive function (from individuals with potential dementia to cognitively normal); 4) examination of the linkage between cognitive function and oral health while controlling for other important covariates; and 5) use of multiple well-established datasets, including nationally and regionally representative samples, that are longitudinal or cross-sectional in nature, to compare and confirm the patterns and predictors of oral health across the various datasets. We expect our study to lead to a better understanding of the mechanism underlying oral health deterioration and its risk factors. And, in turn, our study may suggest strategies for effective and innovative practices to prevent oral health deterioration. As secondary data will be used, the proposed study is a very cost-effective way to accomplish our objectives. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Relevant to Public Health The growing number and proportion of the older adults in the U.S. makes geriatric oral health an increasingly important public health issue that this study will address. This study will lead to the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies.