Periodontitis prevalence and severity in an African population: A cross-sectional study in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Background Periodontitis is a major public health problem affecting many adults, with considerable variation in its prevalence and severity worldwide. There is little data on its prevalence or associated risk factors in Ghana making development of evidence based preventive programs challenging. This study assessed the prevalence, severity, extent, and associated risk factors of periodontitis in an adult Ghanaian population. Methods A population based cross-sectional study involving adults aged >= 25 years in the Greater Accra Region (GAR) of Ghana. A random stratified two-stage sampling method was used to select participants from rural and urban communities. Data on sociodemographic and risk factors were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. A full-mouth periodontal examination was performed to diagnose and describe the severity of periodontitis following the CDC-AAP case definition. Results A total of 729 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 43.9 +/- 14.6 years and 61% being female. Majority (84.8%) presented with gingivitis, 46.7% had periodontitis with 41.8% having both, and 13.9% had severe periodontitis. The mean clinical attachment loss (AL) was 1.36 +/- 0.67 mm and 1.41 +/- 0.57 mm for probing depth (PD). Factors associated with periodontitis included, increasing age, smoking, and alcohol use; being Muslim provided lower odds of disease. Older people, former smoking, being underweight and not having health insurance were associated with severe periodontitis. Conclusions This study shows a high burden of periodontitis with comparatively more severe disease. Existing sociodemographic disparities in disease burden highlights the need of developing targeted population based preventive programs.