Assessing Lifetime Exposure to Fluoridated Water in an Adult Sample

Background: In 2002 the MRC called for more research into the impact of water fluoridation on quality of life. A cross-sectional study is planned to compare oral health-related quality of life in samples of adults from a fluoridated and a non-fluoridated area. NHS clerical staff of matching gradings will be used to achieve comparable groups and their lifetime residence history will be sought in order to calculate their exposure to fluoridated water. Objective: The objective was to assess the adequacy of a questionnaire for collecting data from NHS staff on their residence history in order to calculate their percentage of lifetime fluoride exposure (%LFE). Methods: This was a pre-pilot of the method. A convenience sample of 10 NHS clerical staff were asked to complete the questionnaire. For each address at which respondents had lived for a year or more the water fluoridation status was obtained and %LFE calculated. Results: Residence histories were given by all respondents and lifetime changes of address ranged from 0 to 9. Sufficient information was given to allow %LFE to be calculated for all respondents. Conclusion: The method was adequate for gathering these data but the pilot demonstrates the complexity of attempting to study exposure to fluoridated water among a sample of adults.