Maintaining good oral health is crucial for overall well-being. Oral health literacy (OHL) is a multidimensional concept that connects oral care behaviors, an individual's oral health status, and their overall health. This study was conducted to explore the global prevalence and risk factors associated with inadequate OHL among older adults. Five databases were systematically searched for relevant observational articles from inception to February 2025 with no restriction on language or time of publication. The study's protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42024576967). Among 1881 identified studies, 13 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled results comprised 4305 participants, with approximately 51.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.39, 0.64) having insufficient OHL. Substantial variability in inadequate OHL was observed across measurement tools and continental regions. The pooled prevalence of inadequate OHL was 60.7% in Asia and 23.2% in non-Asian countries. However, no significant difference in insufficient OHL was observed across different institutional settings. An older age (≥74 years) (pooled odds ratio (OR) = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.23, 2.54) and low educational level (pooled OR = 2.75; 95% CI = 1.87, 4.05) were significant risk factors of insufficient OHL. Publication bias was not detected in this study. The notably high prevalence of inadequate OHL and risk factors identified in this study suggest that comprehensive attention is needed from governments, local authorities, healthcare professionals, and communities. However, further studies conducted in diverse countries and incorporating more risk factor analyses would enhance the reliability and generalizability of these meta-analysis findings.
Hang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.