Global Health
The effect of alcohol consumption on periodontal disease among Indigenous Australian adults Xiangqun Ju* Xiangqun Ju Gloria Mejia Joanne Hedges Sneha Sethi Hawazin Elani Lisa M Jamieson
Objective: Drinking alcohol adversely impacts periodontal tissues, potentially leading to periodontitis, a condition that not only affects oral health but is also linked to systemic issues such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The study aimed to estimate the effect of alcohol consumption on periodontal disease while controlling for the mediating effect of smoking among Indigenous Australia adults.
Methods: Data were obtained from a longitudinal sample of Indigenous Australian (n=1011) adults aged 18+ years, conducted in 2018-19 and following in 2019-2020. The outcome variable was self-reported periodontitis which was dichotomized into ‘No/mild’ or ‘Moderate/severe’. The exposure was alcohol consumption (daily, weekly/monthly, or never) and the mediator was smoke status (current, former or never smoker). Other confounders and risk factors included age, sex, residential location, education level, household income, self-rated general health and last dental visit status. A marginal structural model with stabilized inverse-probability weights was used to estimate the direct effect of alcohol consumption on periodontitis. Risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated.
Results: A total 763 Indigenous Australian adults who completed a questionnaire at baseline and 12 months follow-up were included. The prevalence of periodontitis was 46.3%. After correcting periodontitis misclassification, the estimate effect of daily alcohol consumption was approximately 70% increased periodontitis (RR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.02-3.04) than those who consumed alcohol on a weekly or monthly basis, or not at all. Current smokers had nearly 1.5 times (RR= 1.43, 95%CI: 1.02-2.02) higher risk of periodontitis than those who had used or never smoked.
Conclusion: Alcohol consumption has a direct effect on periodontitis independent of smoking and other factors when estimated using marginal structural modelling. Smoking is also considered as a risk factor in periodontitis.