High Prevalence of Tobacco Use and Associated Oral Mucosal Lesion Among Interstate Male Migrant Workers in Urban Kerala, India

Dental caries, oral hygiene status and deleterious habits among migrant construction workers of Belagavi, India

Background

Occupation significantly influences oral health, with factors like the work environment, stress levels, access to dental care, and job-related habits playing crucial roles. The oral health of construction workers, especially migrant workers, is a noteworthy concern. Understanding the oral health of this population is crucial for enhancing their quality of life through various means. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene status, and deleterious habits in this occupational group of Belagavi district, Karnataka.

Materials and methods

Study design was cross-sectional in nature. Before commencement of the study a pilot study was conducted. Multi-stage random sampling technique was employed, and 610 participants were recruited for the study. Trained and calibrated examiners recorded WHO dentition status and treatment needs (2013) and Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S). Collected data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

The prevalence of dental caries among construction workers was significantly high (81%), and poor oral hygiene was observed among 36.9% of them. The prevalence of smoking, the tobacco chewing habit, and alcohol consumption among the construction workers was found to be 21.6%, 59.9%, and 37.3%, respectively. The dependence of OHI-S and DMFT on predictors (age, gender and deleterious habits) was found to be 21.5% and 39.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

Migrant construction workers in Belagavi had a high caries prevalence, poor oral hygiene status, and a high prevalence of deleterious habits such as tobacco use. These results emphasize the necessity of awareness and dental health education programs to improve the oral health of construction workers.

Prevalence and health risk score of tobacco and alcohol use by using the World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test among construction workers in Puducherry, India

BACKGROUND

Construction workers are one of the important neglected occupation groups. The study aimed to assess the prevalence and health risk score of tobacco and alcohol use and its association with sociodemographic factors and self-reported morbidities among construction workers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 male construction workers in a tertiary care medical institution in Puducherry, India. A semi-structured questionnaire based on the World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) guidelines for assessment and health risk score of alcohol and tobacco use was used. The association of current tobacco and alcohol use with associated factors was analyzed by univariate analysis.

RESULTS

About 371 male construction workers participated. The mean (standard deviation) age of construction workers was 28.28 (9.04) years. The prevalence of current tobacco and alcohol use was 60.1% (223/371) and 47.7% (177/371), respectively. Out of 133 smokers, 60.9% (81) were used only bidi, 27.1% (36) only cigarette, and 12% (16) both bidi and cigarette. Most of the workers (126/151 [83.4%]) used khaini among smokeless tobacco users. The majority (204/241 [84.6%]) of ever smokers and nearly half of alcohol users (103 [49.8%]) had moderate risk based on ASSIST score. Higher current tobacco consumption is associated with higher age group, married, lower education status, unskilled occupation, contractual workers, migrants from other states, more duration of work in construction field, and the presence of self-reported health problems (P < 0.05). Current alcohol consumption is associated with more duration of work in construction field and the presence of self-reported health problems (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Tobacco and alcohol use is high, and health risk due to substance use is also more in construction workers.

Workplace based Potentially Malignant Oral Lesions Screening among Tobacco Consuming Migrant Construction Site Workers in Chennai, South India: A Pilot Study

Context:

Vulnerable population groups such as migrant workers are identified as emerging high-risk groups for oral cancer owing to the high prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption. Premature deaths due to oral cancer can be prevented by screening the population with high tobacco consumption practices and detecting early reversible stages of oral mucosal cavity lesions and facilitating linkages for further care.

Aim:

To assess prevalence of potentially malignant oral mucosal cavity lesions among tobacco consuming migrant construction workers in sub-urban Chennai, India.

Settings and Designs:

A workplace based cross-sectional study design.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted at workplaces i.e., construction sites for screening potentially malignant oral mucosal cavity lesions among migrant workers across 23 construction sites of Chennai during September 2019 - February 2020. An onsite, group health education session was provided about the harms of tobacco use to the migrants.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Data entered in MS Excel was analysed using SPSS and multivariate analysis was performed.

Results:

Among 640 migrants included in the study, 411 (64.2%) were less than 30 years of age, 623 (97.4%) were from north-eastern states of India such as West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand. A considerable size (272, 42.5%) could not read or write and 355 (55.4%) earn a monthly income of less than ten thousand rupees. Current tobacco users were 619 (96.7%), smokeless tobacco users (463, 72.34%), smokers (206, 32.2%) and dual users (52,8.12%). Inflammatory mucosal lesions in the oral cavity were 70.97% and more among smokeless tobacco users comparable to 22.58% among tobacco smokers and was significantly associated with up to 20 years of tobacco consumption.

Conclusions:

Prevalence of Potentially malignant oral lesions among smokeless tobacco using interstate migrant construction site workers is very high and need urgent interventions.

Social determinants in access to tobacco prevention and cessation support services among migrant construction workers in Urban Chennai, India

CONTEXT

In spite of the high burden of tobacco consumption among migrants, disparities in the awareness of tobacco-related harms, health-seeking behaviors, and intention to switch to lower risk alternatives remain understudied area.

AIMS

Assess the social determinants in access to tobacco prevention and cessation support services among migrant construction workers in urban Chennai, India.

SETTINGS AND DESIGNS

A community-based, cross-sectional study design.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A questionnaire adapted from GATS survey was used among migrants working across 13 construction sites of Chennai during May-September 2019. A counseling session was provided for the migrant workers who were willing to quit.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Data entered in MS Excel was analyzed using SPSS and multivariate analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Among 345 migrants, 338 (98%) were currently using tobacco and smokeless tobacco (57.4%) consumers. In spite of awareness (84.6%) about tobacco ill-effects on health, only 48% care providers enquired of the tobacco use in the previous one year. Pictorial health warnings were seen by 315 migrants (91.3%) in the past one month, but only 110 migrants (34.9%) considered quitting. The majority (341 migrants, 98.4%) have not heard of the lower risk alternatives such as nicotine gums and lozenges and only 89 migrants (26.33%) agreed to try lower risk alternatives for tobacco on trial basis. Migrant construction workers who were using tobacco less than 5 years (P = 0.001) were more likely to try lower risk alternatives.

CONCLUSIONS

Reappraising social determinants in access to tobacco prevention and cessation support services to migrant construction workers may be a promising strategy to reduce health harms of tobacco intake.

Prevalence of Deleterious Oral Habits and Oral Mucosal Lesions among Fishermen Population of Mahe, South India

INTRODUCTION

Fishing is an occupation associated with uneven diet, strain, drunkenness, tobacco use, and deleterious habits. The physical state of laborers on a large scale will also be influenced by conditions at their work site. Oral mucosal lesions can occur as a result of infections, local shock or infuriation, systemic diseases, and uncontrolled usage of tobacco, betel quid, and alcohol. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of deleterious oral habits and oral mucosal lesions among fishermen population of Mahe, South India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population consists of 362 fishermen aged between 15 and 54. The questionnaire consisted of questions on personal data, and information related to the subjects' oral habits were collected by the interview. The World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Assessment Form was designed for the assessment of oral mucosal lesions.

RESULTS

Among the 362 fishermen, 266 (73.48%) were males and 96 (26.52%) were females. The overall prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, and gutka chewing was found to be 24.3, 48.85, and 32.4% respectively. Smokeless tobacco (32.4%) was the most prevalent habit followed by smoking tobacco (24.3%). The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions was 14.9%. There is a statistically significant association between age groups and habits considered.

CONCLUSION

Findings of the present study suggest that oral health condition of the fisherfolk community was relatively poor, with high habit prevalence and oral mucosal lesions. This epi-demiological study has provided baseline data to plan further research in this area.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Low socioeconomic status, strenuous working hours, inadequate diet and nutrition intake, stress, and use of tobacco and alcohol act as contributing factors for ill health and oral diseases. It is a challenging population to the clinician to identify and treat them.

Oral verrucous carcinoma: From multifactorial etiology to diverse treatment regimens (Review)

Oral verrucous carcinoma (OVC) is a verrucous variant of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which accounts for 2-12% of all oral carcinomas with a 5-year survival rate of only approximately 50%. Enormous effort has been dedicated to this cancer, and the past decades have witnessed significant advances in relevant diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Currently, there exist three challenges from primary sub-fields of research and clinical practice of the cancer, namely multifactorial etiology, complex molecular mechanism, and deficient treatment. This study reviews the existing literature on the cancer, encompassing its etiology, clinical manifestations and pathology, molecular mechanism, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and treatment. For improved treatment of OVC, multifactorial etiology analysis, incorporation of effective biomarkers for mechanism illustration, and integration of multidisciplinary modalities are expounded, in an attempt to resolve the challenges and to provide a useful guide for future research in the field.