Psychological sense of community and oral health problems among older Chinese Americans: Family reunification matters

Background: To further understand social determinants of oral health, this study examined the relationship between psychological sense of community (PSoC) and oral health problems and investigated whether the relationship would vary by family reunification status among foreign-born older Chinese Americans. Methods: Data came from the Population-Based Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE) collected between 2011 and 2013. The PINE study is considered representative of the aging Chinese population in the greater Chicago area. The working sample included 2,981 foreign-born, community-dwelling Chinese Americans aged 60 or older. Stepwise logistic regressions with interaction terms were conducted. Results: Stronger PSoC was associated with a 3% lower likelihood of reporting oral health problems (OR= 0.97; CI= 0.96, 0.98). The strength of the relationship between PSoC and oral health problems varied by family reunification status (OR= 1.06; CI= 1.02, 1.09). For individual components of PSoC, stronger influence was associated with a 16% lower likelihood of reporting oral health problems (OR= 0.84; CI= 0.81, 0.87). Only the relationship between needs fulfillment and oral health problems varied by family reunification status (OR= 1.21; CI= 1.08, 1.36). Conclusions: Interventions need to consider community belonging and reasons for immigration to promote oral health in this growing population