Risk Factors for Treatment of Gum Disease Among Asian and Hispanic Adult Groups

The purpose of this study was to assess the association between risk factors for treatment of gum disease of Asian and Hispanic adults in the United States and identify the specific risk factors for treatment of gum disease using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2015-2016. Eleven risk factors were selected from the oral health questionnaire section of NHANES 2015-2016. Individuals who stated that they could not afford the cost (OR=1.53) had a higher prevalence of treatment of gum disease. There was no significance between Asians and Hispanic adults and treatment for gum disease (p=.347). While self-reported data was a time and cost-effective way to assess the study, it may have contributed to less reporting of gum disease. Though the study was able to identify a significance in a specific risk factor for treatment of gum disease, future studies should utilize clinical examination to confirm gum disease and examine the relationship between treatment for the disease and its specific risk factors.