Association between depressive symptoms and dental care-seeking behavior among elderly Brazilian people

Abstract Background Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent among the elderly population (10%). These symptoms frequently appear when there is a loss of quality of life associated with social exclusion and the appearance of severe diseases. Feelings of sadness, discouragement, despondency and deception, and events such as the loss of close friends and family can also be related to these symptoms. The consequences of depressive symptoms include negative oral health outcomes, such as a decrease in the frequency of toothbrushing, greater prevalence of caries and higher probability of the appearance of periodontitis. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the association between the presence of depressive symptoms and problem-oriented oral healthcare behavior, as well as the absence of healthcare-seeking behavior. Material and method 872 elderly people living in two health districts in Porto Alegre were evaluated. They provided information on socioeconomic variables at an interview, and responded to the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 and to a questionnaire assessing dental care-seeking behavior. In addition, an oral examination was performed. When analyzed using Poisson regression with robust variance, the variables of male sex, less schooling, lower income, reduced number of teeth, presence of root remnants and presence of depressive symptoms were found to be independently associated with the outcome. Result There was a significant difference regarding dental care-seeking behavior in relation to elderly people presenting depressive symptoms and those in low socioeconomic strata having poor oral status. Conclusion It was concluded that these factors need to be taken into consideration when evaluating dental care-seeking behavior