Oral health status and related quality of life among tobacco factory and cotton ginning mill workers in Guntur city, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The study was carried out to assess and compare the oral health status and oral health-related quality of life among tobacco factory workers and cotton ginning mill workers in Guntur city, Andhra Pradesh, India. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried among 160 tobacco factory workers and 160 cotton ginning mill workers aged 25-55 years. A simple random sampling methodology was used. The data were collected using a questionnaire and clinical examination. The questionnaire gathered information on demographic factors, factors related to the working environment, adverse habits of the study subjects and oral health-related quality of life using Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). The subjects were clinically examined to assess their oral health status using WHO Oral Health Assessment Form (2013). RESULTS The prevalences among tobacco factory workers and among cotton ginning mill workers, respectively, were: tobacco chewing habit 38.1% and 15%; periodontal pockets 47.5% and 31.25%; loss of attachment 56.8% and 28.7%; oral mucosal lesions 13.8% and 3.8%; while the corresponding mean OHIP-14 scores were 20.81±11.59 and 16.29±9.67. All results were found to be significantly higher among tobacco factory workers compared to cotton ginning mill workers (p<0.05). All the domains of OHIP-14 were found to have a very high statistically significant positive correlation with DMFT, DMFS, periodontal pocket depth and loss of attachment in both study groups (p<0.001). The availability of tobacco in the workplace was found to be a significant barrier to quit tobacco among tobacco factory workers. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of periodontal diseases, oral mucosal lesions, use of tobacco and the OHIP-14 scores were all found to be significantly higher among tobacco factory workers compared to cotton ginning mill workers. OHIP-14 scores correlated significantly with clinical oral health status indicators in both study groups.

Oral hygiene habits, oral health status, and oral health care seeking behaviors among spinning mill workers in Guntur district: A cross-sectional study

“…[ 14 ] A recent study conducted in the same geographical location as the present study reported relatively better oral health status and oral health related quality of life among spinning mill workers compared to workers from tobacco industry. [ 15 ]…”

“…[ 16 ] Often oral health care facilities serve as the primary contact points for people in the diagnosis of general health conditions and in engaging the subjects to seek requisite medical care. [ 15 ] However, people from lower socioeconomic strata neglect dental care for a variety of reasons. [ 17 ] It is, therefore, important that primary care physicians play a proactive role in emphasizing on the maintenance of good oral hygiene, screening for basic oral health problems, and referring to oral health care professionals in case of necessity, especially for those from lower socioeconomic strata.…”

Oral health status, treatment needs, and patterns of utilization of dental services among village volunteers in Andhra Pradesh: A cross-sectional multi-stage cluster survey

“…[ 5 ] There is a significant amount of literature on assessing oral health status and treatment needs across various populations in Andhra Pradesh state, such as schoolchildren, rural and older people, factory workers, and so on. [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] However, there are no data available on the oral health status of village volunteers, their treatment needs, or their utilization of dental services compared to other populations. Hence, this study was conducted to assess oral health status, treatment needs, and patterns of oral health services among village volunteers in Andhra Pradesh.…”