Exhaled carbon monoxide level and smoking status in urban Khon Kaen adults.

BACKGROUND: Recent data has shown that a great number of Thai adults as well as people worldwide have died from smoking-related diseases. Measurements of exhaled carbon monoxide have been increasingly used to evaluate smoking status and cutoff levels of exhaled carbon monoxide and have been widely reported among other populations but not for the Thai people. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present research was to study the proper cutoff level for exhaled carbon monoxide for detecting smoking status among urban Thai adults residing in Khon Kaen province, Thailand as well as to study the effect of baseline characteristics in modifying the cutoff level of exhaled carbon monoxide. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analytic study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present study employed existing data whereby the study subjects comprised a total of 420 Thai adults, aged 15-70 years, residing in urban Khon Kaen province, Thailand during the year 2006. The data was obtained through interview and exhaled carbon monoxide measurement. The analyses employed descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Findings from the final multivariable logistic regression model revealed good relation between exhaled carbon monoxide levels and tobacco smoking status. Other variables in the model included age-group and the interaction between exhaled carbon monoxide and age-group. Further analysis showed a greater odds ratio in the older age-group, with the odds ratios (95% CI) being 2.50 (1.87, 3.34) and 1.46 (1.31, 1.63) in the older (41-70 years) and younger (15-40 years) age-groups, respectively. In addition, proper cutoff of exhaled carbon monoxide for the older age-group was suggested as 7 ppm, while 8 ppm was more appropriate for the younger age-group. Based on the findings, a baseline characteristic for age modified cutoff level of carbon monoxide was established CONCLUSION: Differences in baseline characteristics should be considered in evaluating smoking status when choosing the cutoff level of exhaled carbon monoxide for any population.

Dental caries and periodontitis associated with betel quid chewing: analysis of two data sets.

BACKGROUND: Not much research evidence concerning the relationship between betel quid chewing and oral health has been established although betel quid chewing is a common practice among people in many Asian countries including rural areas of Thailand. OBJECTIVE: The present study employed two existing data sets to evaluate the association between betel quid chewing and oral diseases. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study populations for phase I comprised a total of 796 females, aged 30-89 years, residing in five districts of Khon Kaen province, Thailand during 1990-91. In phase II, there were 2,253 females, aged 31-86 years, residing in Chonnabot district, Khon Kaen province, Thailand during 1992-94, respectively. The data were obtained through oral examination and interview. The analyses employed descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Findings from final multivariable logistic regression models revealed the inverse relationship between betel quid chewing and dental caries adjusting for other variables. In addition, results from the final multivariable logistic regression models predicting periodontitis showed that betel quid chewing was directly associated with periodontitis in the presence of several confounding factors. The consistent findings from both data sets suggest that although betel quid chewing may reduce dental caries, it was directly related to periodontitis and enhanced the possibility of increasing tooth loss. CONCLUSION: Therefore, preventive programs aiming at discouraging Thai people from chewing betel quid should be established to preserve favorable oral health.