Exploring the mechanism of oral and systemic health disparities caused by socioeconomic factors

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19312
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57080:Social dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Asai Keita 京都大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (10646376)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: educational attainment / number of missing teeth / depressive symptoms

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to clarify the independent and interactive effects of educational attainment and depressive symptoms on the number of tooth loss. We collected cross-sectional data from 9,647 individuals from the Japanese general population. Multivariate analysis identified educational attainment as an independent determinant of tooth loss. Analyzes including an interaction term revealed that the relationship between educational history and the number of missing teeth varied with depressive symptoms, indicating a positive interaction. This study suggests the existence of a significant association between educational history and tooth loss, and the existence of a correlation between '9 years or less of educational history' and 'depressive symptoms'. In addition, we also showed that low educational attainment, especially among women, is significantly associated with the number of missing teeth.

Free Research Field

dentistry

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の結果は、歯を失うリスクの高いグループに口腔ケアの指導を行うことの重要性を示唆している。 また、臨床的対策として、歯科医と精神科医の相互理解の必要性が挙げられる。 2者間のより緊密な連携は、抑うつ症状や不安、および/または口腔衛生の知識の欠如のために十分な口腔ケアが出来なかったり歯科医院へ通院出来ない患者の障壁を取り除くために重要である。さらに、本研究は歯の喪失のハイリスクグループの口腔リテラシーを高めるための政策に役立つと考えられる。