A life-course approach to assess psychosocial factors and periodontal disease

Background: Several models have been used to suggest the role of psychosocial factors in periodontal disease. None have adopted the life-course approach, which emphasizes the importance of exposures over time and at critical points of a person's life. Objective: To investigate the relationship between psychosocial factors at two periods of life and periodontal diseases in Brazilian adult females. Material and Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional survey of 330 women randomly selected from a larger sample of mothers whose children participated in a study on chronic oral disease using a life-course framework. Each woman was clinically assessed for the presence of periodontal disease. An interview collected information on socioeconomic, behavioural and family-related factors at two periods of the participant's life (childhood and adulthood). The main outcome variable was loss of periodontal attachment. Data analysis used logistic regression. Results: High levels of periodontal disease were predicted by < 4 years of education, past and present smoking, high levels of paternal discipline in childhood and low levels of emotional support in adulthood. The influence of childhood factors was not attenuated by adulthood circumstances. Conclusions: Psychosocial factors in childhood and adulthood were associated with high levels of periodontal disease in adulthood.