Effect of Lifestyle on Periodontal Health Status in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND The concept of a healthy lifestyle is reported to be directly related to health. Prevalence and severity of periodontal disease vary among different populations and regions which may be attributed to various lifestyle factors. The aim of the present study was to find the association between the various lifestyle factors and periodontal health. METHODS The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 374 participants aged 20 - 50 years during the 6 months period using a structured and pre-validated questionnaire. The lifestyle factors of selected participants were evaluated using an eight-item health practice index (HPI) scale given by Hagihara et al. Their clinical periodontal status was recorded by means of clinical attachment level using University of North Carolina (UNC)-15 probe. The statistical analysis was based on the association of components of lifestyle with severity of periodontitis was evaluated using chi square test. The multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent association of variables of life style, oral health care and health practice index with severity of periodontitis. RESULTS The statistical analysis revealed that severity of periodontitis increased with increasing age and decreased with increasing education level, income level, and frequency of dental visits and use of oral hygiene aids. The overall life style of participants did not have any significant association with the severity of periodontitis when multivariate logistic regression analysis was done. CONCLUSIONS There is a strong association of age, education, occupation, income, brushing device or method used, visit to the dentist, breakfast, and work hours per day with periodontal health. KEY WORDS Lifestyle, Periodontal Status, Health Practice Index