title: [Association between periodontal pockets and health-related behaviors of workers].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Periodontal disease is a chronic disease caused by bacterial infection, and frequently develops in adulthood. As the disease is closely related to lifestyle, it is important to clarify its relationship with health-related behaviors to provide effective health instructions targeting its prevention. In this study, we focused on periodontal pockets with advanced periodontal disease to clarify the health-related behaviors associated with the presence or absence of periodontal pockets.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 3,142 employees (male: N=2,429, female: N=713; 42.4 ± 10.5 years, Range 20-59 years) of one company, which had provided all employees with an oral health program in 2002. Participants with a Community Periodontal Index code of ≤2 and ≥3 were classified as those without and with periodontal pockets, respectively. To clarify the health-related behaviors associated with the presence or absence of periodontal pockets, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analysis, with presence/absence of periodontal pockets as the dependent variable, and items of health-related behavior investigated in 2002 as independent variables, and calculated the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) adjusted for sex, age group and occupation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The factor most strongly correlated with the presence of periodontal pockets was non-use of dental floss (OR=1.95 (95%CI: 1.57-2.41)), followed by smoking (OR=1.71 (95%CI: 1.44-2.03)), and tooth-brushing habits (≤once a day: OR=1.33 (95%CI: 1.10-1.61)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that, to promote oral health program at the worksite, it is important to provide health education and instructions to encourage the use of dental floss, a daily tooth-brushing habit, and smoking cessation.
authors.affiliation: Lion Foundation for Dental Health, 3-7 Honjo 1-chome, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-8644; Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichihashi
authors.forename: Norihide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishinoue
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D009909:Oral Health; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult