Socioeconomic Inequalities in Oral Health Among Unmarried and Married Women: Evidence From a Population-Based Study in Japan

Relationship between the Appearance of Symptoms and Hospital Visits in Childhood Based on Japanese Statistical Data

BACKGROUND

Childhood health problems affect healthy growth. This study aimed to assess the symptoms and diseases requiring hospital visits commonly found in children in Japan and analyze their effects on health status.

METHODS

Anonymized data on 1315 children aged 6-14 years were obtained from a national survey questionnaire. The survey items addressed symptoms, disease names, and hospital visits. Associations between symptoms and other factors were examined by means of a contingency table analysis and logistic regression.

RESULTS

The proportions of responses for health status were compared for each question item; significant differences were found in age group (p < 0.01), subjective symptoms (p < 0.01), hospital visits (p < 0.01), and lifestyle (p < 0.01). The proportion of responses indicating "poor" perceived health status was high among those with subjective symptoms (4.8%) and hospital visits (4.7%). From the logistic regression, significant odds ratios were found for subjective symptoms (2.10, 95% confidence interval (C.I.) 1.15-3.83) and age group (1.98, 95% C.I. 1.05-3.72).

CONCLUSION

Among measures to improve quality of life from childhood, comprehensive health guidance that emphasizes understanding symptoms and includes age and living conditions is important.

Associations between oral health and cancer in a national representative sample of Spanish adults

BACKGROUND

The goal of this study was to investigate the association between several oral health outcomes and cancer in adults living in Spain.

METHODS

Data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 were analysed. Seven oral health outcomes (dental caries, dental extraction, dental filling, gingival bleeding, tooth movement, dental material and missing tooth) were assessed with questions with 'yes' and 'no' options. Cancer was assessed and defined with the following yes-no question: 'Have you ever been diagnosed with malignant tumours?'. The relationship of each oral health outcome and the number of poor oral health outcomes with cancer was studied in regression models adjusted for sex, age, marital status, education, smoking and alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

This study included 23 089 participants aged 15-103 years [45.9% of males; mean (standard deviation) age 53.4 (18.9) years]. The prevalence of cancer was 5.0% in the overall population. After adjusting for several potential confounding factors, all oral health outcomes except missing tooth were significantly and positively associated with cancer [odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.15 for dental filling to 1.48 for dental extraction]. In addition, there was a positive and significant association between the number of poor oral health outcomes and cancer (OR = 1.16, 95% confidence interval = 1.11-1.22).

CONCLUSIONS

On a nationally representative sample of 23 089 participants in Spain, poorer oral health outcomes were found in participants with history of cancer, with positive associations between several oral health outcomes as well as the number of poor oral health outcomes and cancer.

Associations between mental and oral health in Spain: a cross-sectional study of more than 23,000 people aged 15 years and over

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate associations between mental health and several parameters of oral health, controlling for a variety of important covariates, in a large representative sample of Spanish people.

METHODS

Data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 were analysed. Mental (i.e., depression, chronic anxiety, other psychiatric disorders) and oral health (i.e., dental caries, dental extraction, dental filling, gingival bleeding, tooth movement, dental material, missing tooth) were evaluated. Control variables included sex, age, marital status, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical multimorbidity. Associations between psychiatric conditions (independent variables) and the number of poor oral health outcomes (dependent variable) were assessed using Poisson regression models. The associations were investigated in the overall population, in married participants and in those who were single/widowed/divorced/separated.

RESULTS

There were 23,089 participants [54.1% women; mean (standard deviation) age 53.4 (18.9) years]. The prevalence of at least one psychiatric condition was 15.4% in the overall sample, while the mean (standard deviation) number of poor oral health outcomes was 2.9 (1.4). There was a positive association between any psychiatric condition and the number of poor oral health outcomes [incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.12], and there was a significant interaction between any psychiatric condition and marital status. The association was stronger in those participants who were single/widowed/divorced/separated.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional study. Oral and mental health were assessed with Yes/No questions. Exposure, outcome and covariates were self-reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Those with poor mental health have worse oral health but being married has some protective benefits.

Associations between self-reported physical activity and oral health: a cross-sectional analysis in 17,777 Spanish adults

Background The aim of this study was to assess the association between levels of physical activity and oral health in adults residing in Spain.Methods Cross-sectional data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 were analysed (n = 17,777 adults aged ≥15 years; 52.0% females). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form was used to measure physical activity. Oral health was self-reported through eight variables. Covariates included were sex, age, marital status, education, obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption.Results Dental caries (19.8% vs 27.8%), dental extraction (72.7% vs 75.4%), gingival bleeding (15.5% vs 19.1%), tooth movement (4.3% vs 5.9%) and missing tooth (57.9% vs 62.5%) were statistically significantly less frequent in the sufficient than insufficient physical activity group, whereas dental filling (74.2% vs 70.9%), dental material (36.6% vs 34.8%) and no missing tooth and no material (28.2% vs 25.1%) were statistically significantly more common. After adjustment, there was a negative relationship between physical activity and dental caries (OR = 0.72; 95%CI = 0.66-0.78), gingival bleeding (OR = 0.79; 95%CI = 0.72-0.86), tooth movement (OR = 0.83; 95%CI = 0.71-0.96) and missing tooth (OR = 0.91; 95%CI = 0.85-0.98). In contrast, physical activity was positively associated with dental material (OR = 1.16; 95%CI = 1.07-1.25).Conclusions Participation in physical activity is favourably associated with some but not all self-reported oral health correlates.

Prevalence and determinants of dental visits among older adults: findings of a nationally representative longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

The first aim was to present descriptive data on the frequency of dental visits among older adults in Germany. The second aim was to identify the determinants of the number of dental visits using a longitudinal approach.

METHODS

Longitudinal data were derived from the German Ageing Survey, which is a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals ≥40 years in Germany. The frequency of dental visits in the past 12 months was recorded in the years 2002, 2008 and 2011. In order to control for time-constant unobserved heterogeneity, Poisson fixed effects regressions were used.

RESULTS

While the mean number of dental visits was 2.3 (SD: 2.0) in 2002, it was 2.0 (SD: 1.7) in 2008 and 2.1 (SD: 1.7) in 2011. The frequency of dental visits declined with age (total sample and women), transitions from normal weight to overweight (total sample), changes from divorced/widowed/single/married, living separated from spouse to 'married, living together with spouse' in women and with a decrease in the number of physical illnesses (total sample and men).

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of dental visits declines with age in older adults. While some of the determinants of frequency are non-modifiable (e.g., ageing and worsening of general health), others are modifiable (e.g., change in weight category).