Assess the Well-Being Related to Oral Health among Tobacco Consumers at Selected Coastal Community

Abstract

Tobacco consumption poses a significant health risk for various oral conditions, with evidence showing that smokers are six times more likely to develop oral cancer and have a 4.5 times higher risk of periodontal disease compared to non-smokers. The impact of tobacco on the development of oral diseases, particularly oral cancer, is substantial, with tobacco users facing an approximately 10 times higher risk compared to non-users.

This study aimed to assess the oral health-related well-being of tobacco users in a coastal community in Chennai and examine its association with selected demographic variables. A non-experimental descriptive design was used, with 60 tobacco users selected through purposive sampling.

The data collection tools comprised two sections: Part one gathered demographic information, while part two included the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire, developed by Slade and Spencer (1994), to assess oral health-related well-being. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) and inferential statistics (Chi-square) to test the hypotheses. (63%) had a poor oral health-related well-being, while 22 (37%) had a better oral health-related well-being. Significant associations were found between the oral health-related well-being among tobacco consumers and selected demographic variables, including Gender (X²=6.547), Religion (X²=18.89), Brushing Frequency (X²=7.496), and History of Adverse Habits (X²=13.302).