Prevalence of complete edentulism among US adults 65 years and older: A Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System study from 2012 through 2020.

BACKGROUND: The rapid growth of the older adult population in the United States and their increased risk of edentulism make it essential to analyze trends and factors associated with edentulism. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2012 through 2020. US- and state-level trend lines were reported. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between self-reported complete edentulism and demographic characteristics, chronic diseases, smoking status, and health insurance status. Multiple imputations were used to address the missing data. RESULTS: A total of 771,513 (weighted n = 50,410,576) participants were included in the study. There was a significant (P = .021) downward trend in the prevalence of edentulism from 2012 (16.36%) through 2020 (13.54%). Having less than a high school education, being a smoker, being non-Hispanic Black, having an annual household income less than $75,000, and having chronic conditions, including diabetes, myocardial infarction, arthritis, depression, and stroke, were significantly associated with complete edentulism. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a decrease in prevalence of edentulism, disparities based on race, income, and education still exist. Edentulism is associated with chronic diseases in older adults. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Public health initiatives should be aimed at reducing the impact of edentulism and improving overall quality of life among older adults. Community health programs allocating resources to improve access to affordable care, reducing precursors to edentulism, expanding dental coverage, and promoting oral and general health awareness are vital components of these efforts.

Prevalence, Trends, and Severity of Early Childhood Caries in The United States: National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey Data 2013 to 2018.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) and severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) in the United States and to examine trends from 2013 to 2018 in children under six years of age. Methods: Data were obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Data from three consecutive cycles (2013 to 2014, 2015 to 2016, and 2017 to 2018) were analyzed. A total of 3,157 children younger than six years of age were included in the analysis. The proportion of children with ECC who developed S-ECC was calculated to assess the severity of the disease burden. Multivariable logistic models were used to determine the significance of both linear and quadratic trends. Subgroup analyses were done to test trends in different population groups. Results: The overall prevalence of ECC from 2013 to 2018 was 18.6 percent; the overall prevalence of S-ECC during this interval was 10.6 percent. The prevalence of ECC decreased from 2013 to 2014 (19.6 percent) to 2015 to 2016 (17.4 percent) but increased from 2017 to 2018 (to 18.7 percent). By contrast, the prevalence of S-ECC increased substantially from 2013 to 2014 (9.8 percent) through 2017 to 2018 (11.9 percent). The proportion of children with S-ECC among those with ECC increased from 2013 (49.9 percent) to 2018 (63.4 percent; linear P=0.048) with a significant linear increase among five-year- old (P=0.013), males (P=0.037) and children in families with income 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline (P=0.003). Conclusion: A greater proportion of children with early childhood caries developed from 2017 to 2018 versus 2013 to 2014.

Association between vaping and untreated caries: A cross-sectional study of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018 data.

BACKGROUND: With the rise in the prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) and vaping products and the emergence of evidence indicating their cariogenic potential, it is essential to examine the association between vaping and untreated caries at a population level. METHODS: The authors obtained data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and investigated the outcome variable-untreated caries-using oral health examination data. The authors applied multiple logistic regression analyses to assess the association between untreated caries and smoking (cigarette smoking, vaping, and both) while controlling for education, race or ethnicity, income, age, sex, and time since previous dental visit. RESULTS: A total of 4,618 participants were included in the analyses for this cross-sectional study. Participants who currently smoked e-cigarettes were more likely to have untreated caries (odds ratio, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.29) than those who had never smoked, when adjusted for demographic variables. Similarly, dual smokers (e-cigarette and conventional smokers) were more likely to have untreated caries compared with nondual smokers (odds ratio, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.36 to 4.36). CONCLUSION: Both vaping and dual smoking are associated with an increased occurrence of untreated caries. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Vaping status should be included as a part of health history questionnaires for patients. Dental professionals should be informed of the potential oral health implications of vaping and, in turn, impart this knowledge to patients.

Aerosol optical depth as a measure of particulate exposure using imputed censored data, and relationship with childhood asthma hospital admissions for 2004 in athens, Greece.

An understanding of human health implications from atmosphere exposure is a priority in both the geographic and the public health domains. The unique properties of geographic tools for remote sensing of the atmosphere offer a distinct ability to characterize and model aerosols in the urban atmosphere for evaluation of impacts on health. Asthma, as a manifestation of upper respiratory disease prevalence, is a good example of the potential interface of geographic and public health interests. The current study focused on Athens, Greece during the year of 2004 and (1) demonstrates a systemized process for aligning data obtained from satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) with geographic location and time, (2) evaluates the ability to apply imputation methods to censored data, and (3) explores whether AOD data can be used satisfactorily to investigate the association between AOD and health impacts using an example of hospital admission for childhood asthma. This work demonstrates the ability to apply remote sensing data in the evaluation of health outcomes, that the alignment process for remote sensing data is readily feasible, and that missing data can be imputed with a sufficient degree of reliability to develop complete datasets. Individual variables demonstrated small but significant effect levels on hospital admission of children for AOD, nitrogen oxides (NOx), relative humidity (rH), temperature, smoke, and inversely for ozone. However, when applying a multivari-able model, an association with asthma hospital admissions and air quality could not be demonstrated. This work is promising and will be expanded to include additional years.

Efficacy of SMS Text Message Interventions for Smoking Cessation: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mobile technology provides new opportunities for health promotion communication. The purpose of this study was to conduct a current and extensive meta-analytic review of SMS (short message service) text message-based interventions for individual smoking cessation. METHODS: Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were reviewed for articles meeting selection criteria: 1) randomized controlled trials, 2) measured smoking cessation, and 3) intervention primarily delivered through SMS text messaging. Three and 6month follow-up of 7-day point prevalence or continuous abstinence was considered from studies meeting criteria. All analyses were conducted with intention-to-treat. Both fixed and random effects models were used to calculate the global outcome measure and confidence intervals. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were identified that met inclusion criteria. The studies were found to be homogeneous [Q12=12.47, p=0.14]. Odds ratios based on the random effects models suggested that interventions generally increased quit rates compared to controls, 1.36 [95% CI=1.23, 1.51]. Intervention efficacy was higher in studies with a 3month follow-up compared to 6month follow-up. Text plus programs (e.g., text messaging plus Web or in-person intervention modalities) performed only slightly better than text only programs. Pooled results also indicate message frequency schedule can affect quit rates, in which fixed schedules performed better than decreasing or variable schedules. The use of quit status assessment messages was not related to intervention efficacy. CONCLUSION: Smoking quit rates for the text messaging intervention group were 36% higher compared to the control group quit rates. Results suggest that SMS text messaging may be a promising way to improve smoking cessation outcomes. This is significant given the relatively wide reach and low cost of text message interventions. Identifying the components that make interventions efficacious will help to increase the effectiveness of such interventions.