Perceived Family Function and Dental Caries Experience in Adults

Background: Efficient family functioning was defined as the family's ability to face challenges that arise as part of a family's life cycle, have clear and direct communication between members, have an appreciation for rules as a way of regulating family behaviour, clearly define the roles and responsibilities of its members and have warm affectionate relationships. Objectives: To explore the role of family affective involvement domain in caries experience. Methods: Outer North East London (ONEL) Family Study collected data in a representative sample of 2,304 adults 16- 65 and 1,122 children 3-4 years old in 2009-10. Data was collected through home visits by trained dentists and interviewers, and included dental clinical examinations following WHO criteria (1997), and answers to questionnaires. Family affective involvement was assessed using the Family Assessment Device (FAD) (Epstein et al., 1983). This preliminary data analysis included 1,052 married, cohabiting, or remarried adults. Children, single and divorced adults were excluded. Further data analysis will include the following variables: socio-economic position (SEP), ethnicity, and oral health behaviours (Diet, Oral hygiene, Dental attendance). Results: Results of this preliminary data analysis demonstrated that family affective involvement was statistically significantly (P<0.001) correlated to dental caries experience. The population studied had relatively good oral health as demonstrated by a mean number of teeth equal to 29 (SD=3), ranging from 11 to 32 teeth present. The mean DMFT was 7.8 (SD=6.3). Further statistical analysis will assess the effect of confounding variables and test behavioural pathways to explain the association identified. Conclusion: Results of this preliminary data analysis revealed that family affective involvement was significantly correlated to dental caries experience in this representative sample of adults living in Outer North East London. Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge Waltham Forest, Redbridge, and Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trusts, who provided practical and financial support for this research.