Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among a large national cohort of 87,134 Thai adults

Background Oral health has been of interest in many low and middle income countries due to its impact on general health and quality of life. But there are very few population-based reports of adult Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in developing countries. To address this knowledge gap for Thailand, we report oral health findings from a national cohort of 87,134 Thai adults aged between 15 and 87 years and residing all over the country. Methods In 2005, a comprehensive health questionnaire was returned by distance learning cohort members recruited through Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. OHRQoL dimensions included were discomfort speaking, swallowing, chewing, social interaction and pain. We calculated multivariate (adjusted) associations between OHRQoL outcomes, and sociodemographic, health behaviour and dental status. Results Overall, discomfort chewing (15.8%), social interaction (12.5%), and pain (10.6%) were the most commonly reported problems. Females were worse off for chewing, social interaction and pain. Smokers had worse OHRQoL in all dimensions with Odds Ratios (OR) ranging from 1.32 to 1.51. Having less than 20 teeth was strongly associated with difficulty speaking (OR = 6.43), difficulty swallowing (OR = 6.27), and difficulty chewing (OR = 3.26). Conclusions Self-reported adverse oral health correlates with individual function and quality of life. Outcomes are generally worse among females, the poor, smokers, drinkers and those who have less than 20 teeth. Further longitudinal study of the cohort analysed here will permit assessment of causal determinants of poor oral health and the efficacy of preventive programs in Thailand

Randomized controlled trial of social cognition and interaction training compared to befriending group

Background: Deficits in social cognition are common in people with schizophrenia and are associated with impaired functioning. Finding effective interventions to address these deficits is a priority. Social Cognition Interaction Training (SCIT) is a psychosocial intervention that has demonstrated acceptability and feasibility in various health care settings. Larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the effectiveness of this intervention. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: One hundred and twenty adults diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were randomized to receive SCIT (n = 61) or Befriending Therapy (BT) (n = 59). Both intervention groups were delivered weekly for 2 hr over 12 weeks. Neurocognitive assessment was completed at baseline. Participants completed assessments of social cognition, social functioning, and meta-cognition at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Results: There were no clinically significant differences between group outcomes on any measure of social cognition or social functioning. There was a trend for both groups to improve over time but not at a level of statistical significance. Conclusions: SCIT did not show any additional benefits on measures of social cognition compared to Befriending Therapy for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The findings are discussed in terms of potential improvements to the programme. Practitioner points: Effective interventions for the social cognitive deficits of schizophrenia spectrum disorders are still being refined. Social Cognition Interaction Training is a promising therapy but requires further modifications to improve its effectiveness

Loss of tooth-supporting bone in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) with age

This study investigated changes in alveolar bone height in free-ranging koalas of different age groups. Twenty-seven free-ranging Queensland koalas (15 female, 12 male), admitted to the Moggill Koala Hospital, Brisbane, were used in this study. Koalas were divided into three groups (young, adult, old) on the basis of tooth wear, each group containing nine animals. Defleshed jaws were examined for the presence of alveolar bone defects. The distance from the cemento-enamel junction and the interproximal crestal alveolar bone height was measured on the buccal aspects of the second and third molars. Jaws were photographed and radiographed. Bone defects (dehiscences and fenestrations) were observed in both jaws and were predominantly located on the buccal aspect of the alveolar process. The loss of height of crestal alveolar bone, relative to the cemento-enamel junction, increased with age, with 25 koalas showing moderate to severe bone loss and only two koalas having none/mild loss levels at all measurement sites. Female koalas had higher frequency of 'none/mild' cases of bone loss than did males. There was no variation in levels of alveolar bone loss between the upper and lower jaws or the corresponding right and left arches