TY - JOUR
T1 - Immigration and Oral Health in Older Adults
T2 - An Integrative Approach
AU - Wu, B.
AU - Mao, W.
AU - Qi, X.
AU - Pei, Y.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© International & American Associations for Dental Research 2021.
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - The aim of this study was to develop an integrative framework on aging, immigration, and oral health. The methodology was a critical review that used immigration as a social determinant framework through which to evaluate its impact on the oral health of older immigrants. We reviewed recent empirical evidence on factors related to oral health in older immigrants. In a systematic search across multiple databases, we identified 12 eligible studies in this review. Among the eligible studies, most were conducted among East Asian immigrants (8 articles), followed by non-Hispanic White/European origin (2 articles), Mexican origins (1 article), and Iran and other Middle East regions (1 article). The research revealed knowledge gaps in the evidence base, including the dynamic relationship between acculturation and oral health, the role of environmental factors on oral health for immigrants, psychosocial stressors and their relationship with oral health, and oral health literacy, norms, and attitude to dental care utilization and oral hygiene practices. The development of the integrative framework suggests the pathways/mechanisms through which immigration exerts influences on oral health in later life. This provides opportunities for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to gain greater insights into the complex associations between immigration and oral health among older adults.
AB - The aim of this study was to develop an integrative framework on aging, immigration, and oral health. The methodology was a critical review that used immigration as a social determinant framework through which to evaluate its impact on the oral health of older immigrants. We reviewed recent empirical evidence on factors related to oral health in older immigrants. In a systematic search across multiple databases, we identified 12 eligible studies in this review. Among the eligible studies, most were conducted among East Asian immigrants (8 articles), followed by non-Hispanic White/European origin (2 articles), Mexican origins (1 article), and Iran and other Middle East regions (1 article). The research revealed knowledge gaps in the evidence base, including the dynamic relationship between acculturation and oral health, the role of environmental factors on oral health for immigrants, psychosocial stressors and their relationship with oral health, and oral health literacy, norms, and attitude to dental care utilization and oral hygiene practices. The development of the integrative framework suggests the pathways/mechanisms through which immigration exerts influences on oral health in later life. This provides opportunities for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to gain greater insights into the complex associations between immigration and oral health among older adults.
KW - aging
KW - conceptual framework
KW - dental health
KW - immigrants
KW - migration
KW - systematic review
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U2 - 10.1177/0022034521990649
DO - 10.1177/0022034521990649
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33541196
AN - SCOPUS:85100586634
SN - 0022-0345
VL - 100
SP - 686
EP - 692
JO - Journal of dental research
JF - Journal of dental research
IS - 7
ER -