Association Between Toothbrushing and Behavioral Risk Factors of Non-communicable Diseases: A population Based Survey of 4500 adults in China

Non-communicable Disease (NCD) related behavioral risk factors (BRF) plays a crucial role in NCD prevention, as does oral hygiene behavior in oral health promotion. We examined the association between NCD BRF and toothbrushing using data from a population-based survey, which recruited 4485 adults aged 18+ years, in Chongqing city, China. Prevalence of five NDC BRF and their clustering within individual were determined by toothbrushing frequency. Ordinal logistic regression examined the association between toothbrushing and BRF clustering. Prevalence of current smoking, insufficient intake of vegetable and fruit, and harmful use of alcohol increased significantly with toothbrushing frequency. Respondents who brushed teeth ≥2 times daily consumed more red meat than those with less frequent toothbrushing. Relative to those with no BRF, the adjusted cumulative odds ratio of brushing teeth less frequently was 2.1 (95% CI: 1.4–3.1) for respondents with 3+ BRF. The adjusted cumulative odds ratio was 1.5 (1.1–2.1) and 1.4 (1.0–1.8) for those who had two BRF and those who had one, respectively. Significant correlation between toothbrushing and NCD BRF implied that integrated intervention strategy involving the both may be beneficial in public health programs targeting at either oral health or NCDs, or both.