Life-course epidemiology: concepts and theoretical models and its relevance to chronic oral conditions

Factors related to the dental caries incidence in youth: a cohort study in Brazilian Northeastern

Abstract The conceptual model of the life course considers that health-disease is a dynamic process that is also affected by previous and current lifelong experiences. The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of caries and its determinants in young people in Sobral-Ceará, Brazil. This was a cohort study of oral health started in 2000, with waves in 2006 and 2012. 482 young people aged 17-21 years were examined and interviewed. The incidence of caries between 2006 and 2012 was the outcome analyzed and the independent variables were socioeconomic conditions and use of oral health actions and services. The average incidence of caries was 2.95 teeth from the adolescence to the youth. It was found that social deprivation throughout life and deny access to the dentist during infancy implies a greater incidence of caries in youth, therefore, the use of services and oral health actions during the adolescence and youth have not been sufficient to reduce inequities in oral health.

Oral-systemic health during pregnancy: exploring prenatal and oral health providers' information, motivation and behavioral skills

Pregnancy is identified as a sensitive period of increased risk for poor oral health among mothers and offspring. Subsequently, both medical and dental associations have re-endorsed consolidated, inter-professional guidelines promoting oral health during pregnancy. The objective was to explore prenatal and oral health providers' information, motivation and practice behaviors related to oral health during pregnancy. Twenty-two in-depth interviews were conducted with prenatal and oral health providers based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method in NVivo 10. Providers held variable knowledge with regards to identified oral-systemic connections and implications. Most providers were unaware of the guidelines; however, some oral health providers reported avoiding specific treatment behaviors during this period. Motivation to address oral-systemic health during pregnancy included: prevention; healthy pregnancy/birth outcomes; patient's complaint/question as cue to action; comprehensive, patient-centered, and family-centered care; ethical duty; and professional governing body. Oral health providers reported assessing, educating, and communicating with patients about oral health issues; whereas prenatal providers rarely addressed oral health but reported signing approval forms to receive such care. A few oral health providers highlighted lifecourse implications and the need for family-centered care when addressing poor oral health among pregnant patients. Findings suggest gaps in oral health prevention information and behaviors among prenatal and oral health providers. Future efforts should examine effective dissemination and implementation strategies that translate evidence-based guidelines into clinical practice, with the ultimate goal of improve oral-systemic health among women and their offspring across the lifecourse.

Stressful Life Events and Risk of Depression 25 Years Later: Race and Gender Differences

BACKGROUND

Although stressful life events (SLEs) predict subsequent risk of developing a major depressive episode (MDE), limited information exists on whether or not race and gender alters the predictive role of SLE on risk of MDE over a long-term period. The current study explored race and gender differences in the long-term predictive role of SLE at baseline (1986) on subsequent risk of MDE 25 years later (2011) in a nationally representative cohort in the United States.

METHODS

Using a life course epidemiological approach, this longitudinal study borrowed data from the Americans' Changing Lives (ACL) Study 1986-2011. Main predictor of interest was baseline SLE over the last 3 years measured at 1986. Main outcome was risk of MDE [Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI)] 25 years later (2011). Covariates included demographics, socioeconomics, depressive symptoms [Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D)], chronic medical conditions, and health behaviors measured at baseline (1986). Gender and race were the focal moderators. We employed logistic regressions in the pooled sample, and specific to race and gender, to test whether or not SLE × race and SLE × gender interactions are significant.

RESULTS

In the pooled sample, baseline SLE (1986) predicted risk of MDE 25 years later (2011). We also found a gender by SLE interaction, suggesting a stronger predictive role of SLE for subsequent clinical depression for men compared to women. Race did not modify the predictive role of SLE on subsequent risk of MDE 25 years later.

CONCLUSION

How SLE predicts MDE 25 years later differs for men and women, with a stronger predictive role for men compared to women. More research is needed to better understand the complex links between gender, sex, stress, and depression.

Oral Health-related Beliefs, Behaviors, and Outcomes through the Life Course

Complex associations exist among socioeconomic status (SES) in early life, beliefs about oral health care (held by individuals and their parents), and oral health-related behaviors. The pathways to poor adult oral health are difficult to model and describe, especially due to a lack of longitudinal data. The study aim was to explore possible pathways of oral health from birth to adulthood (age 38 y). We hypothesized that higher socioeconomic position in childhood would predict favorable oral health beliefs in adolescence and early adulthood, which in turn would predict favorable self-care and dental attendance behaviors; those would lead to lower dental caries experience and better self-reported oral health by age 38 y. A generalized structural equation modeling approach was used to investigate the relationship among oral health-related beliefs, behaviors in early adulthood, and dental health outcomes and quality of life in adulthood (age, 38 y), based on longitudinal data from a population-based birth cohort. The current investigation utilized prospectively collected data on early (up to 15 y) and adult (26 and 32 y) SES, oral health-related beliefs (15, 26, and 32 y), self-care behaviors (15, 28, and 32 y), oral health outcomes (e.g., number of carious and missing tooth surfaces), and oral health-related quality of life (38 y). Early SES and parental oral health-related beliefs were associated with the study members' oral health-related beliefs, which in turn predicted toothbrushing and dental service use. Toothbrushing and dental service use were associated with the number of untreated carious and missing tooth surfaces in adulthood. The number of untreated carious and missing tooth surfaces were associated with oral health-related quality of life. Oral health toward the end of the fourth decade of life is associated with intergenerational factors and various aspects of people's beliefs, SES, dental attendance, and self-care operating since the childhood years.

Telomere length and periodontal attachment loss: a prospective cohort study

AIM

The aim of the study was to examine the association between telomere erosion and periodontitis in a long-standing prospective cohort study of New Zealand adults. Specific hypotheses tested were as follows: (i) that exposure to periodontitis at ages 26 and 38 was associated with accelerated leucocyte telomere erosion and (ii) that accelerated leucocyte telomere erosion was associated with higher rates of periodontitis by ages 26 and 38.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Periodontal attachment loss data were collected at ages 26 and 38. Blood samples taken at the same ages were analysed to obtain estimates of leucocyte telomere length and erosion over a 12-year period.

RESULTS

Overall, the mean telomere length was reduced by 0.15 T/S ratio (adjusted) from age 26 to 38 among the 661 participants reported on here. During the same period, the mean attachment loss increased by 10%, after adjusting for sex, socio-economic status and smoking. Regression models showed that attachment loss did not predict telomere length, and that telomere erosion did not predict attachment loss.

CONCLUSIONS

Although both periodontitis and telomere length are age-dependent, they do not appear to be linked, suggesting that determination of leucocyte telomere length may not be a promising clinical approach at this age for identifying people who are at risk for periodontitis.

The Relationship Between Life Course Factors, Parental Demographics, Dental Coping Beliefs and Its Influence on Adolescents Dental Visit: a Cross Sectional Study

Background

Oral Disease is a multifactorial one that includes behavioral and cultural components, and the severity of the disease depends on regularity of dental visits. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between parental demographics, life course factors, dental coping beliefs with therecent dental attendance among adolescents in Udupi Taluk.

Methods

Three hundred and fifty adolescents aged 16–19 years from four randomly selected schools in Udupi Taluk participated in this cross sectional study. Information was obtained regarding their parental demographics, their early life course, dental coping beliefs and recent dental attendance. Bivariate followed by multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to elicit variables which predict recent dental attendance.

Results

Out of the 324 adolescents who completed the questionnaire, 25.3% reported visiting a dentist within a period of one year. Childhood dental visit, childhood dental experience, housing, internal and external locus of control and self-efficacy were significantly associated with recent dental visit (p<0.05). Participants who lived in cement/brick houses were 4.3 times more likely to visit a dentist within one year compared to those living in hut/mud/combined houses (p<0.05). Adolescents with lower external (OR= 0.11, P<0.003) and low internal (OR=0.05, P<0.001) locus of control had lower odds of visiting a dentist within a year when compared with those having higher locus of control.

Conclusion

Childhood financial hardships, childhood dental visits and experiences and dental coping beliefs affect dental attendance pattern during adolescence. These factors should be considered while tailoring interventions to promote the oral health and dental attendance behaviors of adolescents.

Satisfaction with dental care and life-course predictors: A 20-year prospective study of a Swedish 1942 birth cohort?

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to assess the impact of care experience, health factors and socioeconomic factors on satisfaction with dental care across time and to assess the stability or change in levels of self-reported satisfaction with dental care in individuals as they progress from middle age to early old age.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present work is based on five separate data collections from a cohort study with 3585 individuals responding in all years of the survey. Data collection was conducted in 1992 when the subjects were 50 years of age and again 5, 10, 15 and 20 years later. Absolute stability in satisfaction with dental care was assessed by calculating the proportion of individuals who maintained their position in the same category from one survey period to another. Changes across time were tested using Cochran's Q test. Satisfaction with dental care across the 20-year survey period was modeled using the generalized estimating equation (GEE).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The result showed that 85% of women and 83% of men remained satisfied with dental care. Binomial GEE revealed no statistical significant change in satisfaction with dental care between 1992-2012. In sum, this study has shown that this age group, born in 1942, was stably satisfied with dental care between age 50 and age 70, despite all changes during this time period. Females are more satisfied than men and the most important factors are the experience of attention during the last visit, satisfaction with dental appearance and good chewing capability.

Association of parental education with tooth loss among Korean Elders

OBJECTIVE

There are few reports showing an association between childhood socioeconomic circumstances and tooth loss among the elderly. The purpose of this study was (i) to examine the association between early childhood socioeconomic position (parental education level) and tooth loss and (ii) to determine the relative effects of the subjects' education level, occupation, and income on tooth loss in Korean elders.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data from the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey on 8814 Korean elders (age ≥65 years) were analyzed. Demographic factors (age, survey year, marital status, and residence area), health behaviors (dental check-up during the past year and cigarette smoking), and the presence of a somatic health problem (diabetes) were included in our gender-specific analyses. Tooth loss was defined as edentulism or severe tooth loss (<20 teeth). For our analyses, chi-square test and Student's t-tests and multiple logistic regressions were performed.

RESULTS

A low parental education level was associated with elevated odds of edentulism (OR = 1.87 for father's education and 1.52 for mother's education among male elders and OR = 1.73 for father's education and 1.55 for mother's education among female elders) and with severe tooth loss (OR = 1.58 for father's education and 1.53 for mother's education among male elders and OR = 1.25 for father's education and 1.48 for mother's education among female elders). The association between parental education level and tooth loss was attenuated after adjusting for the subject's education level, occupation, and income. Relative magnitude of attenuation varied with personal factors (education > income > occupation). In a fully adjusted model, father's education level was significantly associated with edentate status (OR = 1.96 for male elders and 1.46 for female elders), but not with severe tooth loss.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that early life socioeconomic circumstances measured by the father's education level were independently associated with the edentate status of Korean elders.

Oral health promotion interventions during pregnancy: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Maternal oral disease during pregnancy is a significant public health issue due to its prevalence and lifecourse connections with adverse pregnancy/birth outcomes, early childhood caries, and chronic diseases. Although both medical and dental professional organizations have discipline-specific and co-endorsed guidelines, whether interventions exist that translate oral health evidence into practice remains unknown. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to examine the range, scope and impact of existing oral health promotion interventions during pregnancy.

METHODS

Search terms related to oral health, health promotion, and pregnancy produced 7754 articles published before March 2013 from five search engines.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

(i) intervention-based; (ii) quasi-experimental, experimental, or pretest/post-test design; (iii) pregnant women participants; (iv) outcomes including oral health knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors; (v) ≥5 participants; (vi) peer-review publication; and (vii) English language.

RESULTS

All interventions (n = 7) were delivered in prenatal care settings and focused on education. Modalities varied, including the use of oral instruction and audiovisual presentations, in both individual and group formats; however, content was directed toward infant oral health. Few studies specifically addressed prenatal oral health guidelines. Primary outcomes measured included knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, self-efficacy and oral hygiene, and health-seeking behaviors. All but one study showed significant improvement in one of these outcomes postintervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Few oral health interventions among pregnant women addressed oral-related symptoms, hygiene behaviors, and potential oral-systemic implications specific to mothers. Subsequently, more theory- and evidence-based interventions addressing current prenatal oral health guidelines using rigorous designs are needed to improve oral and systemic health for both women and their offspring.

Life course models for upper aero-digestive tract cancer

Upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancers are collectively cancers of various human body sites, such as the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus and larynx. Worldwide, they are the fourth most frequent cancer type and the fourth most common cause of mortality from cancer. Many studies have shown that several chronic diseases, such as cancer, which occur more commonly in later adulthood, are influenced by social and psychological circumstances during birth, childhood, adolescence and early adult life. It is suggested that the build up of problematic circumstances throughout life is the cause of disease, rather than circumstances that happen at one point in time. UADT cancer is a chronic disease of complex multifactorial origin and most of the underlying exposures/risks cannot be considered as individual factors or in isolation, as they act at different levels, which differ from time to time. Thus, life-course epidemiology, rather than drawing false dichotomies between different risk factors of the underlying disease, attempts to integrate biological and social risk processes that cause the chronic disease. It studies how socially patterned exposures during all stages of life--childhood, adolescence and early adult--influence disease risk in adulthood and socio-economic position and hence may account for social inequalities in adult health and mortality. Furthermore, varying health effects, according to the timing or duration of exposure to socio-economic circumstances, may indicate important traces to the causes of cancer. In this paper, we have attempted to draw a conceptual framework on the relationships between socio-economic inequalities, oral health risk factors along the life-course of an individual and incidence of UADT cancer.

Life course experiences and lay diagnosis explain low-income parents' child dental decisions: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to better understand low-income parents' child dental care decisions through a life course approach that captured parents' experiences within the social context of poverty.

METHODS

We conducted 43 qualitative life history interviews with 10 parents, who were long-term social assistance recipients living in Montreal, Canada. Thematic analysis involved interview debriefing, transcript coding, theme identification and data interpretation.

RESULTS

Our interviews identified two emergent themes: lay diagnosis and parental oral health management. Parents described a process of 'lay diagnosis' that consisted of examining their children's teeth and interpreting their children's oral signs and symptoms based on their observations. These lay diagnoses were also shaped by their own dental crises, care experiences and oral health knowledge gained across a life course of poverty and dental disadvantage. Parents' management strategies included monitoring and managing their children's oral health themselves or by seeking professional recourse. Parents' management strategies were influenced both by their lay diagnoses and their perceived ability to manage their children's oral health. Parents felt responsible for their children's dental care, empowered to manage their oral health and sometimes forgo dental visits for their children because of their own self-management life history.

CONCLUSION

This original approach revealed insights that help to understand why low-income parents may underutilize free dental services. Further research should consider how dental programs can nurture parental empowerment and capitalize on parents' perceived ability to diagnose and manage their children's oral health.

Which life course model better explains the association between socioeconomic position and periodontal health?

AIM

To assess whether the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and periodontal health fitted the Critical Period or the Social Mobility life course models.

METHODS

A nationally representative sample of 5570 Korean adults from KNHANES IV study. Log-binomial regression models adjusting for adulthood or childhood socioeconomic (SES) variables was used to assess independent effects of socioeconomic differences for childhood, adulthood and period of transition from child to adult in periodontal health.

RESULTS

In the Critical Period model, poorer periodontal status was associated with SES disadvantage in adulthood and not predicted by SES disadvantage in childhood. For the intergenerational Social Mobility model, prevalence of current periodontal disease was only different for females aged 30-39 and 40-49 years, after adjustment. Prevalence of periodontal disease in females was highest in the downwardly mobile group.

CONCLUSIONS

The Critical Period model was better at explaining association between socioeconomic position and periodontal health, such as the adulthood socioeconomic variables (SEP), had a stronger effect than childhood factors on periodontal disease. The Social Mobility model explained more of the variation in the association between SEP and periodontal health among women than among men.

Greater inequalities in dental treatment than in disease experience

This study aimed to (1) describe social gradients in dental caries in a population-level survey and (2) examine whether inequalities are greater in disease experience or in its treatment. Using data from Australia's National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-2006, we examined absolute and relative income inequalities for DMFT and its separate components (DT, MT, FT) using adjusted proportions, means, and health disparity indices [Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII)]. Approximately 90% of Australian adults had experienced caries, with prevalence ranging from 89.7% in the highest to 96.6% in the lowest income group. Social gradients in caries were evident across all components of DMFT, but particularly notable in Missing (SII = -15.5, RII = -0.3) and untreated Decay (SII = -23.7, RII = -0.9). Analysis of age- and gender-adjusted data indicated less variation in levels of disease experienced (DMFT) than in the health outcomes of its management (missing teeth). The findings indicate that social gradients for dental caries have a greater effect on how the disease was treated than on lifetime disease experience.

Health-related quality of life and income-related social mobility in young adults

Background

To assess the association of income-related social mobility between the age of 13 and 30 years on health-related quality of life among young adults.

Methods

In 1988-89 n = 7,673 South Australian school children aged 13 years were sampled with n = 4,604 children (60.0%) and n = 4,476 parents (58.3%) returning questionnaires. In 2005-06 n = 632 baseline study participants responded (43.0% of those traced and living in Adelaide).

Results

Multivariate regressions adjusting for sex, tooth brushing and smoking status at age 30 showed that compared to upwardly mobile persons social disadvantage was associated (p < 0.05) with more oral health impact (Coeff = 5.5), lower EQ-VAS health state (Coeff = -5.8), and worse satisfaction with life scores (Coeff = -3.5) at age 30 years, while downward mobility was also associated with lower satisfaction with life scores (Coeff = -1.3).

Conclusions

Stable income-related socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with more oral health impact, and lower health state and life satisfaction, while being downwardly mobile was associated with lower life satisfaction at age 30 years. Persons who were upwardly mobile were similar in health outcomes to stable advantaged persons.

Relationship Between Periodontal Disease and Obesity: The Role of Life-Course Events

Periodontal disease is ranked among the 10 most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide, and is considered a major public health problem. Its etiology has been associated with local and general conditions that could interfere in the host immune response. Obesity, like periodontal disease, has emerged as a prevalent chronic disease in high-, low- and medium-income countries, recognized as risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer. A relationship between periodontal health and obesity may exist, but the mechanism that would explain this association remains unclear. Life-course epidemiology could be a useful instrument to investigate a casual association between early exposures and later outcomes, being appropriate for understanding the establishment of chronic conditions. This approach comprehends different theories, considering the time, the duration and the intensity of early exposition, and its impact on the development of chronic diseases in later life. Thus, the aim of this study is to hypothesize the different life-course epidemiology theories to explain the possible association between periodontal health and nutritional status in adulthood.

The importance of preventive dental visits from a young age: systematic review and current perspectives

BACKGROUND

Dental caries, the most common childhood chronic disease, disproportionately affects vulnerable parts of the population and confers substantial impacts to children, families, and health systems. Because efforts directed toward oral health promotion and disease prevention are fundamentally superior to dental rehabilitation secondary to disease development, early preventive dental visits (EPDVs) are widely advocated by professional and academic stakeholders. The aim of this comprehensive review was to critically review and summarize available evidence regarding the effectiveness of EPDVs in improving children's oral health outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search of the PubMed and Embase electronic databases was undertaken to identify peer-reviewed publications investigating the effectiveness of EPDVs on oral health outcomes, including clinical, behavioral, and cost end points up to October 30, 2013. Outcomes of the identified studies were abstracted and summarized independently by two investigators.

RESULTS

Four manuscripts met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All studies were conducted in the US and employed a retrospective cohort study design using public insurance-claims data, whereas one study matched claims files with kindergarten state dental surveillance data. That study found no benefit of EPDVs in future clinically determined dental caries levels in kindergarten. The other three studies found mixed support for an association of EPDVs with subsequent more preventive and fewer nonpreventive visits and lower nonpreventive service-related expenditures. Selection bias and a problem-driven dental care-seeking pattern were frequently articulated themes in the reviewed studies.

CONCLUSION

The currently available evidence base supporting the effectiveness of EPDVs and the year 1 first dental visit recommendation is weak, and more research is warranted. The benefits of EPDVs before the age of 3 years are evident among children at high risk or with existing dental disease. However, EPDVs may be associated with reduced restorative dental care visits and related expenditures during the first years of life.

Early life conditions, adverse life events, and chewing ability at middle and later adulthood

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine the extent to which early life conditions and adverse life events impact chewing ability in middle and later adulthood.

METHODS

Secondary analyses were conducted based on data from waves 2 and 3 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), collected in the years 2006 to 2009 and encompassing information on current chewing ability and the life history of persons aged 50 years or older from 13 European countries. Logistic regression models were estimated with sequential inclusion of explanatory variables representing living conditions in childhood and adverse life events.

RESULTS

After controlling for current determinants of chewing ability at age 50 years or older, certain childhood and later life course socioeconomic, behavioral, and cognitive factors became evident as correlates of chewing ability at age 50 years or older. Specifically, childhood financial hardship was identified as an early life predictor of chewing ability at age 50 years or older (odds ratio = 1.58; 95% confidence interval = 1.22, 2.06).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest a potential enduring impact of early life conditions and adverse life events on oral health in middle and later adulthood and are relevant for public health decision-makers who design strategies for optimal oral health.

Developmental delays and dental caries in low-income preschoolers in the USA: a pilot cross-sectional study and preliminary explanatory model

BACKGROUND

Anecdotal evidence suggests that low-income preschoolers with developmental delays are at increased risk for dental caries and poor oral health, but there are no published studies based on empirical data. The purpose of this pilot study was two-fold: to examine the relationship between developmental delays and dental caries in low-income preschoolers and to present a preliminary explanatory model on the determinants of caries for enrollees in Head Start, a U.S. school readiness program for low-income preschool-aged children.

METHODS

Data were collected on preschoolers ages 3-5 years at two Head Start centers in Washington, USA (N = 115). The predictor variable was developmental delay status (no/yes). The outcome variable was the prevalence of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (dmfs) on primary teeth. We used multiple variable Poisson regression models to test the hypothesis that within a population of low-income preschoolers, those with developmental delays would have increased dmfs prevalence than those without developmental delays.

RESULTS

Seventeen percent of preschoolers had a developmental delay and 51.3% of preschoolers had ≥1 dmfs. Preschoolers with developmental delays had a dmfs prevalence ratio that was 1.26 times as high as preschoolers without developmental delays (95% CI: 1.01, 1.58; P < .04). Other factors associated with increased dmfs prevalence ratios included: not having a dental home (P = .01); low caregiver education (P < .001); and living in a non-fluoridated community (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our pilot data suggest that developmental delays among low-income preschoolers are associated with increased primary tooth dmfs. Additional research is needed to further examine this relationship. Future interventions and policies should focus on caries prevention strategies within settings like Head Start classrooms that serve low-income preschool-aged children with additional targeted home- and community-based interventions for those with developmental delays.

Dental visiting history between ages 13 and 30 years and oral health-related impact

BACKGROUND

The aim was to assess the role of visit history factors between the age of 13 and 30 years on oral health-related impact.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 1988-89, n=7,673 South Australian school children aged 13 years were sampled with n=4,604 children (60.0%) and n=4,476 parents (58.3%) returning questionnaires. In 2005-06, n=632 baseline study participants responded (43.0% response of those traced and living in Adelaide). Oral health impact was measured at age 30 years using OHIP-14.

RESULTS

Multivariate regression showed that OHIP scores were significantly higher (P<0.05) for those with episodes of relief of pain visits once (β=1.487) or two or more times (β=2.883), and episodes of extraction once (β=1.301) or two or more times (β=3.172). Higher positive dental visit attitude scores were associated with lower OHIP scores (β=-1.265), as were being male (β=-0.637), having a job (β=-1.555) and being tertiary educated (β=-0.632).

CONCLUSIONS

History of adverse dental events between the age of 13 and 30 years such as episodes of relief of pain visits and episodes of extraction was associated with higher impact of oral health problems at age 30 suggesting a cumulative effect.

Oral health in Brazil: the challenges for dental health care models

This paper discusses adult oral health in Brazil according to three perspectives: 1) the available epidemiological evidence about the population's oral-health-related epidemiological situation, especially adults and the elderly population, in relation to two high prevalence oral injuries (dental caries and tooth loss), 2) the main health care models for dealing with this situation, by analyzing the related historical processes in order to reveal the likely social, political and epidemiological implications of the different models, and 3) lastly, the possible challenges to Brazilian dentistry or collective oral health in overcoming these obstacles. The main results of the study indicate that, from an epidemiological point of view, Brazil is undergoing a transition in dental caries and tooth loss, which is not yet reflected in the profile of the elderly, but which is tentatively evidenced in young adults. Tooth loss remains high. Certain aspects of society's economic and political superstructure have an important impact on oral health indicators and existing inequalities. Oral health care models have a relative importance and must not be neglected. Vestiges of ideological movements, like preventive medicine, may explain the current impasse in collective oral health practices, such as the preeminence of Finalized Treatment (FT) in clinics and of preventive care in schools fostered by community-based programs. It is therefore important to develop conceptual, theoretical reflections and to increase the objects of intervention, their purposes and their modus operandi. The practice of dentistry according to these alternative models is still being constructed. New studies related to the different formats of these new practices are recommended.

Social inequality in oral health

Social inequalities in oral health are observable regardless of the population, the culture, the method of social classification or the measure of oral health or disease. They exist because of socially determined differences in opportunity, behaviours, beliefs and exposure to the myriad factors which determine our oral health. Behaviours and practices which affect oral health are embedded in the normal patterns of everyday life; those (in turn) are socially determined and differ across the continuum of social status. This presentation focuses primarily on social inequalities in incremental tooth loss because (i) it is a condition which has been shown to have the greatest effect on people's oral-health-related quality of life, and (ii) it is cumulative and irreversible. Most of the knowledge base on social inequalities in tooth loss comes from cross-sectional studies; investigating the phenomenon in a birth cohort can be more informative because it allows us to determine what happens to those inequalities through the life course. Data on incremental tooth loss from a longstanding cohort study (the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study) are presented to illustrate the cumulative and pervasive effect of social inequalities and changes in social status between childhood and adulthood.

Brief oral health promotion intervention among parents of young children to reduce early childhood dental decay

BACKGROUND

Severe untreated dental decay affects a child's growth, body weight, quality of life as well as cognitive development, and the effects extend beyond the child to the family, the community and the health care system. Early health behavioural factors, including dietary practices and eating patterns, can play a major role in the initiation and development of oral diseases, particularly dental caries. The parent/caregiver, usually the mother, has a critical role in the adoption of protective health care behaviours and parental feeding practices strongly influence children's eating behaviours. This study will test if an early oral health promotion intervention through the use of brief motivational interviewing (MI) and anticipatory guidance (AG) approaches can reduce the incidence of early childhood dental decay and obesity.

METHODS

The study will be a randomised controlled study with parents and their new-born child/ren who are seen at 6-12 weeks of age by a child/community health nurse. Consenting parents will complete a questionnaire on oral health knowledge, behaviours, self-efficacy, oral health fatalism, parenting stress, prenatal and peri-natal health and socio-demographic factors at study commencement and at 12 and 36 months. Each child-parent pair will be allocated to an intervention or a standard care group, using a computer-generated random blocks. The standard group will be managed through the standard early oral health screening program; "lift the lip". The intervention group will be provided with tailored oral health counselling by oral health consultants trained in MI and AG.Participating children will be examined at 24, and 36 months for the occurrence of dental decay and have their height and weight recorded. Dietary information obtained from a food frequency chart will be used to determine food and dietary patterns. Data analysis will use intention to treat and per protocol analysis and will use tests of independent proportions and means. Multivariate statistical tests will also be used to take account of socio-economic and demographic factors in addition to parental knowledge, behaviour, self-efficacy, and parent/child stress.

DISCUSSION

The study will test the effects of an oral health promotion intervention to affect oral health and general health and have the potential to demonstrate the "common risk factor" approach to health promotion.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: http://ACTRN12611000997954.

Inequalities in dental attendance throughout the life-course

The purpose of this study was to identify socio-economic inequalities in regular dental attendance throughout the life-course. The analyses relied on data from SHARE (waves 1 to 3 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe), which includes retrospective information on life-course dental attendance of 26,525 persons currently aged 50 years or greater from 13 European countries (Austria, Poland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, the Czech Republic, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden). Inequalities in dental attendance were assessed by means of Concentration Indices. Socio-economic disparities in regular dental attendance were identified as early as childhood. Moreover, higher educational attainment resulted in increased probabilities of regular dental attendance throughout subsequent life-years in all nations. In most countries, inequality levels remained relatively inelastic throughout the life-course. These findings suggest that a considerable proportion of inequalities in dental care use is already established at childhood and persists throughout the life-course.

Social inequality in oral health-related quality-of-life, OHRQoL, at early older age: evidence from a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the long-term effect of socio-behavioral characteristics on oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) at age 65 and the influence on OIDP at age 65 of changes in socio-behavioral characteristics between age 50 and 65.

METHODS

In 1992, all 50-year-olds in two counties of Sweden were invited to participate in a longitudinal survey. A total of 6346 responded and, of those, 4143 completed follow-ups at ages 55, 60 and 65 years.

RESULTS

At age 65, 26.9% had oral impacts. Subjects being immigrants, being unmarried, reporting economic barriers, bad general health, bad quality dental care, less than annual dental attendance, limited social network and smoking at age 50 experienced oral impacts at age 65 more frequently than their counterparts in the opposite groups. Compared to the stable advantaged groups, stable disadvantaged groups regarding marital status, health status, smoking and reported quality of care had increased ORs for oral impacts. Compared to the stable advantaged groups, those who experienced deterioration with respect to health status, dental attendance and quality of oral health care and those who quitted smoking had increased ORs for oral impacts.

CONCLUSIONS

Disadvantaged socio-behavioral condition at age 50 had a long lasting detrimental effect on OHRQoL at age 65. Deterioration in socio-behavioral circumstances was associated with increased oral impacts. Early protection against the effect of socio-behavioral adversity by imposing economic barriers, ensure provision of high quality care and by promotion of healthy lifestyles seems to have the potential to reduce oral impacts at older ages.

Early childhood caries

Dental caries is one of the most common childhood diseases, and people continue to be susceptible to it throughout their lives. Although dental caries can be arrested and potentially even reversed in its early stages, it is often not self-limiting and progresses without proper care until the tooth is destroyed. Early childhood caries (ECC) is often complicated by inappropriate feeding practices and heavy infection with mutans streptococci. Such children should be targeted with a professional preventive program that includes oral hygiene instructions for mothers or caregivers, along with fluoride and diet counseling. However, these strategies alone are not sufficient to prevent dental caries in high-risk children; prevention of ECC also requires addressing the socioeconomic factors that face many families in which ECC is endemic. The aim of this paper is to systematically review information about ECC and to describe why many children are suffering from dental caries.

Oral health studies in the 1982 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort: methodology and principal results at 15 and 24 years of age

The aim of this study was to describe the methodology and results of oral health studies nested in a birth cohort in Pelotas, Southern Brazil. For the oral health studies a sub-sample (n = 900) was selected from the cohort and dental examinations and interviews were performed at ages 15 (n = 888) and 24 years (n = 720; 81.1%). Data collection included dental outcomes, dental care, oral health behaviors, and use of dental services. Mean DMF-T varied from 5.1 (SD = 3.8) to 5.6 (SD = 4.1) in the study period. The proportion of individuals with at least one filled tooth increased from 51.9% to more than 70%. Individuals who had always been poor used dental services less and had fewer healthy teeth on average than those who had never been poor. Individuals with decreasing or increasing family income trajectories showed intermediate values. An increase was seen in the number of healthy teeth from age 15 to 24 only among those who had never been poor. A history of at least one experience with poverty had a negative impact on oral health in adulthood.

Dental visiting trajectory patterns and their antecedents

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to test whether socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood may affect dental visiting patterns between ages 18 and 32 years.

METHODS

Using data from a complete birth cohort, childhood SES status was measured (using the New Zealand Elley-Irving index) at each study stage between birth and 15 years. Longitudinal dental visiting data were available for 833 study participants from ages 15, 18, 26, and 32, and these were analyzed by trajectory analysis.

RESULTS

Three separate dental visiting trajectories were identified; these were categorized as opportunists (13.1%), decliners (55.9%), and routine attenders (30.9%). Bivariate analyses showed low SES in childhood, male sex, and dental anxiety to be associated with membership of the "opportunist" dental visiting trajectory. Multinomial logistic regression showed that low childhood SES and dental anxiety were statistically significant predictors for membership in the opportunist or decliner trajectories after accounting for potential confounding variables.

CONCLUSION

Individuals who grew up experiencing low childhood SES were less likely to adopt a routine dental visiting trajectory in adulthood than those with a high childhood SES. Dental anxiety was also an important predictor of dental visiting patterns.

Sense of coherence and oral health status in an adult Swedish population

OBJECTIVE

To investigate sense of coherence in relation to oral health status in an adult Swedish population in order to better understand the determinants of positive oral health-promoting behavior and differences in oral health.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A stratified random sample of 910 individuals from Jönköping, Sweden aged 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 years was obtained. The investigation used the Swedish short version of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) questionnaire comprising 13 items and a self-report questionnaire to elicit demographic information. In addition, a clinical and radiographic oral examination was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 525 individuals, 261 men and 264 women, consented to participate in the study. Bivariate analysis revealed that higher mean SOC scores were statistically significantly associated with more decayed and filled surfaces (DFS) and filled surfaces (FS), fewer decayed surfaces (DS), fewer teeth with calculus and periodontal health. Multivariate analysis showed that higher SOC scores represented a predictor of fewer occurrences of a periodontal probing pocket depth of ≥4 mm and a lower risk of plaque in different regression models.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher SOC scores may be a protective determinant of plaque and periodontal disease, indicating an association between SOC and oral health.

Education level and oral health in Finnish adults: evidence from different lifecourse models

AIM

To assess the relationship between education level and several oral health outcomes in Finnish adults, using three conceptual lifecourse models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study analysed data from 7112 subjects, aged 30 years or over, who participated in the nationally representative Finnish Health 2000 Survey. Parental and own education levels were the childhood and adulthood socioeconomic measures, respectively. Oral health was indicated by edentulousness, perceived oral health and levels of dental caries and periodontal disease. Three conceptual lifecourse models, namely critical period, accumulation and social trajectories, were separately tested in regression models.

RESULTS

In line with the critical period model, parental and own education levels were independently associated with oral health after mutual adjustment. There was also a graded linear relationship between the number of periods of socioeconomic disadvantage and oral health, corresponding to the accumulation model. Gradual declines in oral health were evident between social trajectories from persistently high to upwardly mobile, downwardly mobile and persistently low groups.

CONCLUSION

There was similar support for the lifecourse models of critical period, accumulation and social trajectories. They collectively contribute to a better understanding of oral health inequalities.

Extending conceptual frameworks: life course epidemiology for the study of back pain

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies have identified important causal and prognostic factors for back pain, but these frequently only identify a proportion of the variance, and new factors add little to these models. Recently, interest has increased in studying diseases over the life course, stimulated by the 1997 book by Kuh and Ben-Shlomo, a move accompanied by important conceptual and methodological developments. This has resulted in improvements in the understanding of other conditions like cardiovascular and respiratory disease. This paper aims to examine how conceptual frameworks from life course epidemiology could enhance back pain research.

DISCUSSION

Life course concepts can be divided into three categories. Concept 1: patterns over time, risk chains and accumulation. Simple 'chains of risk' have been studied - e.g. depression leading to back pain - but studies involving more risk factors in the chain are infrequent. Also, we have not examined how risk accumulation influences outcome, e.g. whether multiple episodes or duration of depression, throughout the life course, better predicts back pain. One-year back pain trajectories have been described, and show advantages for studying back pain, but there are few descriptions of longer-term patterns with associated transitions and turning points. Concept 2: influences and determinants of pathways. Analyses in back pain studies commonly adjust associations for potential confounders, but specific analysis of factors modifying risk, or related to the resilience or susceptibility to back pain, are rarely studied. Concept 3: timing of risk. Studies of critical or sensitive periods - crucial times of life which influence health later in life - are scarce in back pain research. Such analyses could help identify factors that influence the experience of pain throughout the life course.

SUMMARY

Back pain researchers could usefully develop hypotheses and models of how risks from different stages of life might interact and influence the onset, persistence and prognosis of back pain throughout the life course. Adoption of concepts and methods from life course epidemiology could facilitate this.