141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Online Program

282752
Association between self-reported tooth loss, smoking and diabetes: Finding from the Mississippi behavioral risk factor surveillance system


Monday, November 4, 2013

Sai Kurmana, MD, MPH, Chronic Disease Programs, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, MS
Rodolfo Vargas, MS, Mississippi State Department of Health, Jackson, MS
BACKGROUND: Numerous epidemiological studies show an increasing trend of tooth loss due to tooth decay and periodontal disease. Some health conditions make people more likely to have tooth loss. Having an annual dental examination is a national goal of Healthy People 2020. Our objective was to examine whether an association exists between self-reported tooth loss, smoking and diabetes among adult population in Mississippi who participated in the Behavioral and Risk Factor Surveillance.

METHODS: We used data from the 2010 Mississippi Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine the association between self-reported tooth loss, smoking and diabetes among 8,089 survey respondents. We used multivariate regression modeling to investigate the cross-sectional association between self-reported tooth loss, diabetes and smoking.

RESULTS: Mean age was 55.8 ± 13.9 years, with 47.6% males and 52.4% females. In a multivariable model adjusting for age, sex and annual dental visits, there was a significant association between tooth loss and diabetes (AOR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.15-2.01 and between tooth loss and smoking (AOR= 1.83, 95%CI = 1.38-2.44) among the survey participants. The association is stronger among current smokers who are also diabetics and who experienced tooth loss (AOR= 1.88, 95% CI 1.06-3.43).

CONCLUSIONS: An association between tooth loss, smoking and diabetes was evident among adults in Mississippi. Due to limitations of the available variables in the present databases, further studies including caries experience, hypertension prevalence and its confounders should be conducted to examine whether smoking and diabetes are true risks of tooth loss in adults.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate relationships between tooth loss and aspects of overall patient health and identify types of risk behaviors that are preventable for optimal oral health.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the chief epidemiologist for chronic disease programs focusing on the epidemiology of oral health, heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes and health disparities among disparate populations. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies to meet health priorities and identify gaps in chronic disease prevention efforts.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3095.0: Epidemiology and Oral Health Policy