Association Between Health Literacy, Oral Health Literacy, and Periodontal Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Inadequate health literacy and oral health literacy may adversely impact an individual's capacity for disease management, including the management of periodontitis. AIM: This study investigated the association between health literacy (HL), oral health literacy (OHL), and periodontal disease severity. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in Chiang Mai Province. Demographic data, oral health behaviours, and periodontal status were collected. Periodontal disease severity was classified according to the 2018 American Academy of Periodontology/European Federation of Periodontology (AAP/EFP 2018) criteria. Health literacy was assessed using the General Health Literacy Scale for Thai people (GHLS), and OHL was measured using the Thai version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (ThREALD-30). Associations were analysed using ordinal logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 247 participants were included (mean age: 45.42 ± 15.92 years). The mean HL and OHL scores were 180.63 ± 24.79 and 27.50 ± 2.46, respectively. Most participants (58.70%) were diagnosed with stage III or IV periodontitis. No significant association was observed between the HL scores and periodontal disease severity. In contrast, OHL scores were significantly associated with periodontal disease severity (Crude OR 0.69; 95% CI: 0.58-0.81, p < .001). After adjusting for potential confounders, OHL remained significantly associated with periodontal disease severity (adjusted OR 0.82; 95% CI: 0.68-0.99, p = .039). CONCLUSIONS: Oral health literacy was significantly associated with periodontal disease severity, whereas HL showed no such association. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings emphasize the critical role of evaluating and enhancing OHL in improving periodontal health outcomes at the population level.