Abstract
Associations have been found between diabetes status and periodontal
diseases and dental caries. In addition to biological explanations,
psychological features can be proposed to affect the relations between
oral health and IDDM (=insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychological features
characterizing oral hygiene practices, dental visiting and diabetes self-care.
The research population consisted of 149 IDDM patients, and cross-sectional
data were collected by a quantitative questionnaire, in clinical
examinations and from patient records.
There was a positive correlation between the sum scores for
dental self-efficacy and diabetes self-efficacy and, correspondingly,
between the dental and diabetes locus of control beliefs. High self-esteem
was found to associate with good adherence to some specific health
behaviors, such as tooth brushing, exercising and insulin adjustment.
When Weiner's attribution theory was used, there were similarities
in the causal thinking in oral and diabetes view. All in all, especially
the perception of self-efficacy was found to be a powerful feature
characterizing health behavior. There were overlapping relations
showing an association of high dental self-efficacy with good diabetes adherence,
of high diabetes self-efficacy with frequent dental visiting, and
of good metabolic control with high tooth brushing self-efficacy,
frequent tooth brushing and low plaque level. On the basis of these
results, enhancement of self-efficacy appears important.
These results suggest that there might, indeed, be some common
psychological features for both oral health behavior and diabetes
self-care. These could partly explain the relations between diabetes status
and periodontal diseases and dental caries. The results can be utilized
in patient-centered health education by identifying and enhancing
the psychological features that characterize health behavior and
health status. The results emphasize the need for co-operation between
dental and diabetes health care professionals in their daily practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:oulo.fi/oai:oulu.fi:isbn951-42-5630-1 |
| Date | 02 May 2000 |
| Creators | Kneckt, M. (Mirka) |
| Publisher | University of Oulu |
| Source Sets | University of Oulu |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, © University of Oulu, 2000 |
| Relation | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0355-3221, info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1796-2234 |
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