title: Oral Health in a Sample of Pregnant Women from Northern Appalachia (2011-2015).
abstract: Background. Chronic poor oral health has a high prevalence in Appalachia, a large region in the eastern USA. The Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) has been enrolling pregnant women and their babies since 2011 in the COHRA2 study of genetic, microbial, and environmental factors involved in oral health in Northern Appalachia. Methods. The COHRA2 protocol is presented in detail, including inclusion criteria (healthy, adult, pregnant, US Caucasian, English speaking, and nonimmunocompromised women), recruiting (two sites: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, USA), assessments (demographic, medical, dental, psychosocial/behavioral, and oral microbial samples and DNA), timelines (longitudinal from pregnancy to young childhood), quality control, and retention rates. Results. Preliminary oral health and demographic data are presented in 727 pregnant women, half from the greater Pittsburgh region and half from West Virginia. Despite similar tooth brushing and flossing habits, COHRA2 women in West Virginia have significantly worse oral health than the Pittsburgh sample. Women from Pittsburgh are older and more educated and have less unemployment than the West Virginia sample. Conclusions. We observed different prevalence of oral health and demographic variables between pregnant women from West Virginia (primarily rural) and Pittsburgh (primarily urban). These observations suggest site-specific differences within Northern Appalachia that warrant future studies.
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Bridgeside Point Suite 500, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neiswanger
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; School of Dentistry, Department of Dental Practice & Rural Health, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, 53 Campus Drive, P.O. Box 6040, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Foxman
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Bridgeside Point Suite 500, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
authors.forename: Manika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Govil
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Bridgeside Point Suite 500, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; School of Dental Medicine, Department of Dental Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Weyant
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Department of Periodontics, West Virginia University, Room G110-B HSC, N. Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Crout
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Hyagriv N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Simhan
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; University Center for Social and Urban Research, 3343 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Beach
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; School of Dentistry, Department of Dental Practice & Rural Health, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, 53 Campus Drive, P.O. Box 6040, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Bridgeside Point Suite 500, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
authors.forename: Jayme G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zovko
authors.affiliation: Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; School of Dentistry, Department of Dental Practice & Rural Health, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, 53 Campus Drive, P.O. Box 6040, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: University Center for Social and Urban Research, 3343 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Strotmeyer
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Bridgeside Point Suite 500, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Bridgeside Point Suite 500, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA ; Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marazita