Determinants of the oral health of adults entering the third decade life-stage [ 2004 - 2006 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof A. John Spencer (Principal investigator) ,  Prof David Brennan

Brief description There has been a strong investment in the oral health of Australian children and their oral health has greatly improved. However, there are a number of indications that not all the gains in child and adolescent oral health are not carried through to the next life stage, adulthood. Somewhere in the intervening years, much of the gains in oral health invested in children and adolescents are dissipated. Hence, the purpose of this proposed research is to document the nature, distribution and determinants of oral health among South Australian 29 year olds so as to identify points of intervention to maintain Australian's improved oral health further into adulthood. The specific aims of the research are to document the oral health of a cohort of 29 year olds describe their dental life history and key proximate influences on their oral health identify significant determinants of their oral health to compare the cohort with a representative SA sample of the same age. This project will approach some 3,763 29 year old adults who participated in earlier research as 13 year olds in 1988-89. It will also compare these adults with a random sample of 557 further 29 year olds from the SA Electoral Roll. Participants will be interviewed and then dentally examined, providing a range of key outcome measures on oral health status and explanatory factors from when they were 13 years old, their dental history and circumstances as 29 year olds. The research project is expected to provide detailed documentation of the prevalence and severity of oral disease and its distribution in an adult cohort, and exploration of the dental life history and current determinants of the oral disease observed. It is anticipated that the strength of hypothesised relationships of determinants will have direct policy implications.

Funding Amount $AUD 201,500.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant