Oral Candida Carriage in Waterpipe and Cigarette Smokers with Various Dietary Habits

Background Tobacco smoking and diet have been both linked to increased oral Candida carriage. The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of Candida species in the oral cavity of young individuals smoking cigarettes and waterpipe who have various dietary habits. Methods Participants were recruited from university students during December 2013, and were divided into three groups; a control non-smoking, a cigarette smoking, and a waterpipe smoking groups. The study sample completed a pre-structured questionnaire on smoking, and dietary habits. Oral swab samples were collected from all participants to determine oral Candida carriage and the colonizing Candida species.  Data were statistically analyzed to determine the significance of association between Candida carriage on one hand and smoking status, and dietary habits on the other hand. Findings A total of 238 students participated in the study and among those only 30 (12.8%) students had oral Candida carriage. Candida albicans was the most common species to be recovered (56.7%), followed by Candida dubliniensis (23.3%). The association between smoking, and perceived dietary habits on one hand and oral Candida carriage on the other was not statistically significant. Conclusions Smoking, and perceived dietary habits seem to have no association with oral Candida carriage among a young cohort of university smokers. It is recommended that similar studies are conducted on older age groups to investigate if age has any influence.