Association Between Procrastination in Childhood and the Number of Remaining Teeth in Japanese Older Adults

BACKGROUND: Procrastination is associated with stress and unhealthy behaviors. The oral condition reflects the long-term history of an individual’s stress exposure and oral health behaviors; however, empirical studies on the association of procrastination in childhood with remaining teeth in older age are limited. We investigated the association of procrastination in childhood with the number of remaining teeth among community-dwelling older Japanese adults. METHODS: In total, 1,616 community-dwelling senior residents of Wakuya City (Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) who were enrolled in the National Health Plan & the Medical Care System for the Elderly completed a self-administered questionnaire on the number of teeth. Procrastination was measured using a single binary question about timing of holiday homework completion in childhood. The number of remaining teeth was assessed via a questionnaire with response options of ≥20, 10–19, 1–9, and 0 teeth. Ordered logistic regression models with potential confounders (sex, age, maternal education, childhood socioeconomic status [SES], childhood maltreatment, conscientiousness trait) and mediators (adulthood SES, smoking history, alcohol use history) were estimated. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of participants reported a higher tendency to procrastinate in childhood. The proportions of participants with ≥20, 10–19, 1–9, and 0 teeth were 39.6%, 22.7%, 24.0%, and 13.7%, respectively. After adjusting for all covariates, a higher tendency to procrastinate in childhood was significantly associated with having fewer remaining teeth (odds ratio 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–1.57). CONCLUSION: A higher tendency to procrastinate in childhood was associated with having fewer remaining teeth in later life.