The distribution of ‘‘sense of coherence’’ among Swedish adults : A quantitative cross-sectional population study

Background: Antonovsky’s concept of ‘‘sense of coherence’’ (SOC) has been shown to be related to health. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of SOC scores and their components in an adult Swedish population aged 20—80 years. Methods: A random sample of 910 individuals from Jönköping, Sweden, aged 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 years, of which 589 agreed to participate in an oral health examination. The participants answered Antonovsky’s 13-item version of ‘‘the life orientation questionnaire scale’’. The response to the items and the distribution of the three components of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness were analyzed for different age groups and genders using mean values and standard deviations, Student’s t-test and ANOVA. Results: A total of 526 individuals, 263 men and 263 women, answered all 13 questions and constituted the final material for the study (response rate 89%). The individual SOC score increased with age. The 20 year olds had a statistically significantly lower SOC score compared with the other age groups and 55% of them had a low SOC (≤66 points) compared with 17% of the 80 year olds. Men in the 60 and 70 year age groups had a statistically significantly higher SOC score compared with women of the same age. Conclusions: The individual distribution of SOC varied with age and gender. Twenty year olds had a significantly lower SOC score compared with elderly age groups. Elderly men had a statistically significantly higher SOC score compared with women of the same age

Cost-effectiveness of caries preventive interventions : a systematic review

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of caries preventive interventions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review was conducted, following the PRISMA Statement. Four electronic databases were searched (final search 16 March 2020). Studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were independently critically appraised, by two reviewers in parallel. Data from each included study were extracted and tabulated: the analysis used a narrative approach to present the results of the estimated cost-effectiveness. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-six publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were of low or moderate risk of bias. Ten publications were economic evaluations, directly based on empirical studies, and the other 16 were modelling studies. Most of the studies concerned interventions for children and the most common were analyses of fluoride varnish and risk-based programs. Some of the studies showed both reduced cost and improved outcomes, but most studies reported that the improved outcome came with an additional cost. The results disclosed several cost-effectiveness evaluations of caries preventive interventions in the literature, but these target primarily children at high risk. There is a scarcity of studies specifically targeting adults and especially the elderly

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of Health-related quality of life and prospective caries development

Schematic description of the aspects monitored by the SF-36 instrument as measures of health-related quality of life. (PPTX 98 kb

Additional file 2: Table S1. of Health-related quality of life and prospective caries development

DMFS and DMFS increase from baseline to follow-up in women in SF-36 quintile strata. The data are shown as the means (95 % CIs) adjusted for age, screening year, and years to follow-up. Numbers in the strata vary by distribution of scores for each SF-36 dimension; strata with <200 observations were not considered. Table S2. DMFS and DMFS increase from baseline to follow-up in men in SF-36 quintile strata. The data are shown as the means (with 95 % CIs) adjusted for age, screening year, and years to follow-up as indicated in the footnote. Numbers in the strata vary by distribution of scores for each SF-36 dimension; strata with <200 observations were not considered. Table S3. Social situation, lifestyle and medical characteristics in all participants by quintile classification of caries prevalence at follow-up. Table S4. Social situation, lifestyle and medical characteristics in all participants by quintile classification of Physical Component Summary scores (PCS). Table S5. Social situation, lifestyle and medical characteristics in all participants by quintile classification of Mental Component Summary scores (MCS). (DOCX 67 kb