Elders assessment of an evolving model of oral health

Objectives: To evaluate qualitatively a model of oral health through focus groups among elders. Methods: The participants (30 women and 12 men; mean age: 75 years) attended one of six focus groups to discuss the relevance of the model to their oral health-related beliefs and experiences, and transcripts of the narratives were analysed systematically for the components, associations and recommendations emerging from the discussions. Results: The groups confirmed the relevance of the original components of the model with minor modifications, but felt that for completeness it required four additional components: diet; economic priorities; personal expectations; and health values and beliefs. They recommended that the negative connotations of limited activity, impairment and restricted participation were modified with the positive terms activity and participation, and they suggested that ellipses rather than concentric circles more aptly illustrate the dynamic and overlapping importance of the various components in the model. Conclusion: The original model required additional components and graphic representation to accommodate all of the experiences and beliefs relating to the oral health of the elders who participated in this qualitative study.