Skin colour is associated with periodontal disease in Brazilian adults: a population-based oral health survey.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of periodontal disease in Brazilian adults and to test its association with skin colour after controlling for socio-demographic variables.


METHODS
The periodontal status of 11,342 Brazilian adults was informed by a nationwide oral health survey. Socio-demographic variables included skin colour, gender, schooling, per capita income, age and geographical region. The association between periodontal disease and skin colour was tested by a logistic regression model, adjusting for covariates. Interactions between skin colour and socio-demographic variables were tested.


RESULTS
The prevalence of periodontal diseases was 9.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 7.6-10.3]. Lighter-skinned black people (pardos) and dark-skinned black people (pretos) presented higher levels of periodontal disease when compared with white people [odds ratio (OR)=1.5; 95% CI 1.2; 1.8; OR=1.6; 95% CI 1.2; 2.1, respectively] even after controlling for age, gender, schooling, per capita income and geographic region. No interactions were statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Skin colour was significantly associated with periodontal disease among Brazilian adults after adjustment for socio-economic and demographic covariates.
Peres
Marco Aurélio
MA
Departamento de Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário Trindade, Florianópolis, SC 88010-970, Brazil. mperes@ccs.ufsc.br
Antunes
José Leopoldo Ferreira
JL
Boing
Antonio Fernando
AF
Peres
Karen Glazer
KG
Bastos
João Luiz Dornelles
JL
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors