Physical activity, BMI and oral health behaviour among adolescents: Finnish School Health Promotion Study

To assess associations between oral health behaviour and physical activity and related factors among adolescents.\nThe study population (n = 76 529) consisted of a representative sample of 16- to 18-year-old Finnish adolescents (boys: 37 211, girls: 39 318). An anonymous, confidential and voluntary classroom-administered questionnaire included questions about tooth brushing frequency, physical activity, BMI and eating habits. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was used to assess the adolescents' physical activity. The chi-square test and multiple binary logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for MVPA, BMI, breakfast, smoking and socioeconomic factors as parents' education and school type.\nThe prevalence of twice daily tooth brushing was highest among adolescents reporting 4 hours or more of MVPA (51-77%). Obese and smoking adolescents exercised less often than normal weighted and non-smokers. Girls brushed their teeth twice daily significantly more often than boys (P < 0.001), and high-school students brushed their teeth significantly more often than vocational school students (P < 0.001). Logistic regression models showed that obesity (OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.92-2.37) and irregular breakfast eating (OR = 2.35, 95% CI 2.19-2.52) among boys, and obesity (OR = 2.81, 95% CI 2.48-3.17), physical inactivity (OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.78-2.00) and irregular breakfast eating (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.79-2.04) among girls were strong predictors for poor tooth brushing.\nPhysically active adolescents had better oral health behaviour than less active adolescents. Obesity and smoking were associated with infrequent tooth brushing.\nBackground\nMethods\nResults\nConclusion

Shared attention for action selection and action monitoring in goal-directed reaching

Dual-task studies have shown higher sensitivity for stimuli presented at the targets of upcoming actions. We examined whether attention is directed to action targets for the purpose of action selection, or if attention is directed to these locations because they are expected to provide feedback about movement outcomes. In our experiment, endpoint accuracy feedback was spatially separated from the action targets to determine whether attention would be allocated to (a) the action targets, (b) the expected source of feedback, or (c) to both locations. Participants reached towards a location indicated by an arrow while identifying a discrimination target that could appear in any one of eight possible locations. Discrimination target accuracy was used as a measure of attention allocation. Participants were unable to see their hand during reaching and were provided with a small monetary reward for each accurate movement. Discrimination target accuracy was best at action targets but was also enhanced at the spatially separated feedback locations. Separating feedback from the reaching targets did not diminish discrimination accuracy at the movement targets but did result in delayed movement initiation and reduced reaching accuracy, relative to when feedback was presented at the reaching target. The results suggest attention is required for both action planning and monitoring movement outcomes. Dividing attention between these functions negatively impacts action performance

Tooth loss among middle-aged adults in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966:associations with tobacco smoking and diabetes

Abstract Oral and general health are linked to each other, and both are contributed by many sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Information on tooth loss, as a simple indicator of oral health of an individual, can easily be collected through self-report for research purposes in population studies. This cross-sectional study was conducted among the 46-year-old members of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (N = 10,321), providing a comprehensive and representative sample of middle-aged Finns. First, it was explored if smoking (history), as a harmful health behavior, associated with tooth loss. In addition, the duration of smoking history and the presumed benefits of cessation on tooth loss were investigated. The validity of self-report as a substitute for clinically determined number of teeth was also evaluated. Finally, the usefulness of number of teeth as an indicator of impaired glucose metabolism (prediabetes and diabetes) was tested. Tooth loss, as the outcome, was assessed by clinically measured (N = 1,946) and/or self-reported (N = 5,950) number of teeth. Questionnaires inquired about socioeconomic and behavioral factors, with smoking as the exposure of interest. Impaired glucose metabolism was determined through different sources, with oral glucose tolerance test as the primary screening tool. Negative binomial and logistic regression models served to statistically explore the associations while controlling for relevant confounders. Intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plot were the primary tools for validation analysis. Smoking had an exposure-dependent association with tooth loss, mainly among males. It also seemed that those males who had stopped smoking started to gradually reclaim the aptitude for tooth retention. Self-reported number of teeth was in good agreement with the corresponding clinical measure in this study population. A reduced number of teeth associated with impaired glucose metabolism, mainly among females. The findings of this study advocate the importance of recognizing smoking as a harmful oral health behavior. Additionally, this study demonstrated self-reported number of teeth as a reasonably valid option for tooth loss measure in population studies. Furthermore, according to the obtained results, noticeably increased tooth loss can be considered as a possible initial indicator of underlying diabetes.Tiivistelmä Suun terveys ja yleisterveys ovat yhteydessä toisiinsa, ja monet sosiodemografiset ja käyttäytymistekijät vaikuttavat niihin. Hampaiden menetystä voidaan pitää yksinkertaistettuna yksilön suun terveyden indikaattorina ja tieto siitä voidaan helposti kerätä itseraportoinnin avulla väestötutkimuksissa. Tämä poikittaistutkimus perustui tietoihin 46-vuotiaista Pohjois-Suomen vuoden 1966 syntymäkohortin jäsenistä (N = 10 321), joka muodostaa edustavan otoksen keski-ikäisistä suomalaisista. Ensiksi tarkasteltiin tupakointia haitallisena terveyskäyttäytymisenä suhteessa hampaiden menetykseen, ja lisäksi tutkittiin tupakointihistorian pituuden ja lopettamisen oletettujen hyötyjen vaikutusta tähän liittyen. Myös itseraportoidun hampaiden lukumäärän validiteettia arvioitiin suhteessa vastaaviin kliinisessä tutkimuksessa saatuihin arvoihin. Hampaiden lukumäärän toimivuutta sokeriaineenvaihdunnan häiriöiden indikaattorina testattiin. Hampaiden menetys määritettiin kliinisesti mitatun (N = 1 946) ja/tai itseraportoidun (N = 5 950) hampaiden lukumäärän perusteella. Kyselylomakkeilla tiedusteltiin sosioekonomisia ja käyttäytymistekijöitä, joista tupakointi oli tutkimuksen keskeinen muuttuja. Sokeriaineenvaihdunnan häiriöt määritettiin eri tietolähteistä ja sokerirasituskoetta käytettiin seulontamenetelmänä. Negatiiviseen binomijakaumaan perustuvaa regressiomallia ja vastaavia logistisia malleja hyödynnettiin tilastoanalyyseissä, kun tutkittiin olennaisten sekoittavien tekijöiden suhteen vakioituja yhteyksiä. Sisäkorrelaatio (ICC) ja Bland-Altman -kuvaaja olivat ensisijaiset työkalut validointianalyysissä. Tupakoinnilla havaittiin altistustasosta riippuva yhteys hampaiden menetykseen, joskin yhteys esiintyi lähinnä miehillä, joilla myös tupakoinnin lopettamisesta näytti olevan hyötyä suhteessa oman hampaiston pysyvyyteen. Itseraportoidut hampaiden lukumäärät olivat tässä tutkimuksessa pääsääntöisesti yhtäpitäviä kliiniseen tarkastukseen perustuvien lukujen kanssa. Vähentynyt hampaiden lukumäärä oli yhteydessä sokeriaineenvaihdunnan häiriöihin naisilla. Tupakoinnilla on merkittävä rooli haitallisena suun terveyteen liittyvänä käyttäytymistekijänä. Itseraportoitu hampaiden lukumäärä osoittautui kohtuullisen luotettavaksi hampaiden menetyksen mittariksi väestötutkimuksiin. Vähentynyttä hampaiden lukumäärää voidaan pitää yhtenä mahdollisena merkkinä piilevästä diabeteksesta