Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Severity of Oral Epithelial Dysplasia Using a Taiwanese Nationwide Oral Mucosal Screening Program: A Retrospective Analysis
Abstract Background: The study aimed to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and severity of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) using current data from the Taiwanese Nationwide Oral Mucosal Screening Program (TNOMSP). Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at a general hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 134 participants were analysed from a previous study database of 150 patients. The inclusion criteria included age over 20 years and a history of either tobacco or betel nut use. Background information, including para-habits such as betel and tobacco use, was analysed using Pearson chi-square (χ2) test, furthermore, the correlation of background information with OED severity was investigated using logistic regression (mild or moderate/high).Results: High school education level (P<0.001), poor self-awareness (P=0.002), current betel use (P<0.001), and tobacco use (P=0.003) were highly correlated with moderate- and high-grade OED (P<0.05). The odds ratio (OR) of education status above senior high school was 0.03 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01–0.15, P<0.001), while that of junior high school was 1. Current betel chewing (OR=6.57 [95% CI: 1.17–37.0], P=0.033) was significantly associated with OED severity compared with never or ex-use of betel.Conclusions: We found a strong correlation between the severity of OED and current betel use and low education status. The current study revealed the socioeconomic status, poor self-awareness, and para-habits history of the patients with OED should be evaluated to identify high-risk individuals using TNOMSP.