Premium
Oral cancer examinations among smokers and moderate‐heavy drinkers, U nited S tates, 2008
Author(s) -
Macek Mark D.,
Yellowitz Janet A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/jphd.12021
Subject(s) - medicine , dentition , oral health , alcohol consumption , national health interview survey , receipt , logistic regression , gerontology , family medicine , demography , environmental health , dentistry , alcohol , population , world wide web , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , sociology
Abstract Objectives Smoking and moderate‐heavy alcohol consumption are primary risk factors for oral cancer. This report uses national data to test whether adults with these risk factors received oral cancer examinations ( OCEs ) at a rate consistent with their risk. Methods Data from the 2008 N ational H ealth I nterview S urvey ( NHIS ) were used for this analysis. The main outcome variables described lifetime receipt of extraoral or intraoral OCEs . Other variables described health‐care visits, as well as the timing of, reasons for, and type of practitioner providing the most recent OCE . Descriptor variables were smoking and drinking status. Covariates included several sociodemographic factors. Weighted bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted using SUDAAN software. Results According to the 2008 NHIS , about 34 percent of adults aged 40 years or older reported receiving either an extraoral or intraoral examination during their lifetime. Current smokers were no more likely to have received an OCE than were never smokers, controlling for relevant covariates. Moderate‐heavy drinkers and light drinkers were significantly more likely to have received an OCE than were lifetime abstainers. Conclusions Current smokers did not receive OCEs at a rate consistent with their increased risk, whereas moderate‐heavy drinkers did. One explanation for this finding is that medical and dental visit behaviors indirectly influenced OCE rates. Dentition status played an important role, as having teeth is strongly associated with dental visit behaviors. Health‐care practitioners are encouraged to consider the smoking and drinking statuses of their patients when they conduct routine physical examinations of the head and neck.