title: Self-perceived loss of control and untreated dental decay in African American adults with and without sickle cell disease.
abstract: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between self-perceived loss of control as measured by dental external locus of control summary scores, with the amount of untreated dental decay in African American adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) and African Americans adults without SCD. The sample included 102 subjects with SCD and 103 subjects without SCD matched on age, sex, and recruitment location (mean age of all subjects 35.4 years, 55.6% female). Subjects with SCD in the highest quartile for dental external locus of control summary scores had 2.58-fold (CI 1.05, 6.34) as much untreated decay as those in the lowest quartile (p<.05) in multivariable analysis using the negative binomial regression model. For subjects without SCD, those in the highest quartile for dental external locus of control summary scores had 3.00-fold (CI 1.38, 6.49) as much untreated decay as those in the lowest quartile (p<.05) using similar analysis. This study showed that higher dental external locus of control is associated with increased untreated tooth decay, both for African Americans with and without SCD and that the magnitude of the association did not differ across groups.
authors.affiliation: Howard University College of Dentistry, Washington, DC 20059, USA. blaurence@howard.edu
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laurence
authors.forename: Dexter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Onyinye
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Onyekwere
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lanzkron
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diener-West
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Powe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors