Peer Smoking and Smoking-related Beliefs Among College Students in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVES: Smoking is a significant public health issue in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to examine peer smoking and smoking-related beliefs among college students in Bangladesh. METHODS: College students at two universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh participated in a self-administered survey in May and June 2017. RESULTS: First, being a current or former smoker is associated with lower levels of beliefs among respondents that they would not smoke even with smoker friends or nervousness, and lower levels of intentions that they would not smoke, while current smokers and former smokers have different smoking-related beliefs. Second, having smoker friends is associated with lower levels of intentions that they would not smoke. Third, higher levels of normative beliefs that it is important not to smoke are associated with higher levels of beliefs that they would not smoke even with smoker friends or nervousness, higher levels of intentions that they would not smoke, and higher levels of avoidance of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking-related beliefs and perceived norms in individuals' social networks are important components in promoting tobacco cessation in Bangladesh. But it is challenging to prevent or intervene in smoking because of the high rates of smoking in this country and the high prevalence of smokers in individuals' social networks. Future studies should examine the most effective interventions to combat smoking in high-smoking social networks, such as using mobile apps or social media, and evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions.

Association Between Health-Related Beliefs and Oral Health Behaviors Among Uninsured Primary Care Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The collaborations between dental care providers and other health care providers are especially needed for underserved populations. There is a deficit of research focused on underserved populations who utilize a safety net facility such as a free clinic in the United States. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between health-related beliefs and oral health behaviors among uninsured adults utilizing a primary care free clinic providing oral health care. METHODS: Uninsured primary care patients utilizing a free clinic (N = 585) participated in a self-administered paper survey in May and June, 2016. RESULTS: More than 60% of free clinic patients reported a perceived need for dental treatment. Free clinic patients who brush their teeth more than once a day reported better perceived general health compared with those who do not brush their teeth more than once a day. Free clinic patients who had perceived a need for dental treatment reported worse perceived general health compared to those who did not report dental needs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate a pressing need for the further development of dental care services at safety-net clinics. By including dental care in health promotion programs, it will have positive impacts not only on oral health but also on a healthy lifestyle and the general health of underserved populations utilizing a safety-net clinic. The implementation and evaluation of the integrated health programs, which include primary care and oral health care together, would be beneficial to reduce oral health disparities.

Factors associated with oral health-related quality of life among safety-net clinic patients.

OBJECTIVES: Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is an important health indicator not only for individuals but also for oral health care providers to treat a person holistically. Previous studies focused on OHRQoL do not provide comprehensive knowledge regarding low-income patients in the United States, many of whom have chronic health conditions that can affect their oral health. The purpose of this study is to examine factors associated with OHRQoL among low-income, uninsured patients of safety-net providers, which provide free or reduced fee medical and/or dental care to underserved populations. METHODS: Uninsured patients (N = 584) participated in a self-administered survey in May and June 2016 at a safety-net clinic in the United States serving a low-income uninsured population, which provides limited oral health care services. This study used cross-sectional design and a nonprobability sample. The dependent variable was OHRQoL measured using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14. Chi square tests, Analysis of Variance tests, and multiple regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Higher levels of dental care neglect and lower frequency of oral hygiene practice were associated with lower levels of OHRQoL (P < 0.01). Participants utilizing a diabetes clinic reported better OHRQoL than those who were not patients of a diabetes clinic (P < 0.05). US born English speakers had worse general health and OHRQoL compared to non-US born English speakers and Spanish speakers (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: An intervention to remedy dental neglect is recommended to improve OHRQoL among uninsured safety-net patients.