Bent pinkies: Quantifying fifth finger clinodactyly in a sample of U.S. adults

Mild curvature of the fifth finger (or clinodactyly) is a relatively common trait. While severe forms can cause functional impairment and are a feature of certain congenital syndromes, mild clinodactyly is considered a minor morphological variant. Despite exhibiting continuous variation, clinodactyly is rarely treated as a quantitative trait. Consequently, the degree of fifth finger curvature in the general population and the factors that impact this curvature are not well understood. In the present study, we measured fifth finger curvature in a sample of 1,295 U.S. adults and investigated the role of sex, age and body size. We found that clinodactyly exhibited a non-normal distribution. All participants displayed some degree of curvature, but it tended to be slight with an overall mean of 3.68 degrees (median: 3.58 degrees). In only 0.8% of cases did the curvature exceed the nominal 10-degree threshold for clinically meaningful clinodactyly. We did not find statically significant sex differences. Further, there was no meaningful relationship with height and only a weak positive relationship with age. We found that clinodactyly showed asymmetry; the curvature was greater on the left than on the right fifth finger (p < 2.2e-16), but this was not influenced by sex, age, or height. These results suggest the possibility that the kind of ubiquitous mild clinodactyly observed in the general population may be etiologically distinct from more rare and severe forms of the condition.

Depression and Rural Environment are Associated With Poor Oral Health Among Pregnant Women in Northern Appalachia

Both oral health problems and depression among pregnant women contribute to maternal-infant health outcomes. Little is known, however, about the potential effects of clinically significant depression on the oral health status of pregnant women. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of clinically significant depression and rural- or urban-dwelling status on oral health outcomes among pregnant women. Pregnant women (N = 685) in rural (i.e., West Virginia) and urban (i.e., Pittsburgh, PA) areas of northern Appalachia were assessed by calibrated examiners regarding gingivitis, oral hygiene, and DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth), completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and provided demographics. Participants were categorized based on clinically significant depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 16) and rural/urban domicile. Women with depression and those living in rural areas had worse oral health on all three indices than their non-depressed and urban counterparts. Depression, particularly among women in rural areas, affects certain oral health indices and represents a modifiable target for intervention. Moreover, treatments designed specifically for rural populations may be of particular utility. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant may benefit from regular depression screenings from their dental and medical health care providers.

Oral Health in a Sample of Pregnant Women from Northern Appalachia (2011-2015)

Background. Chronic poor oral health has a high prevalence in Appalachia, a large region in the eastern USA. The Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) has been enrolling pregnant women and their babies since 2011 in the COHRA2 study of genetic, microbial, and environmental factors involved in oral health in Northern Appalachia. Methods. The COHRA2 protocol is presented in detail, including inclusion criteria (healthy, adult, pregnant, US Caucasian, English speaking, and nonimmunocompromised women), recruiting (two sites: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, USA), assessments (demographic, medical, dental, psychosocial/behavioral, and oral microbial samples and DNA), timelines (longitudinal from pregnancy to young childhood), quality control, and retention rates. Results. Preliminary oral health and demographic data are presented in 727 pregnant women, half from the greater Pittsburgh region and half from West Virginia. Despite similar tooth brushing and flossing habits, COHRA2 women in West Virginia have significantly worse oral health than the Pittsburgh sample. Women from Pittsburgh are older and more educated and have less unemployment than the West Virginia sample. Conclusions. We observed different prevalence of oral health and demographic variables between pregnant women from West Virginia (primarily rural) and Pittsburgh (primarily urban). These observations suggest site-specific differences within Northern Appalachia that warrant future studies.