HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.124735v1 98/7/1263    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Russell, S. L. Articles by Yaffee, R. A. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Russell, S. L. Articles by Yaffee, R. A. Related Collections Gender Dental/Oral Health Social Science Pregnancy Socioeconomic Factors Women's Health

Stefanie L. Russell, PhD, DDS, MPH, Jeannette R. Ickovics, PhD and Robert A. Yaffee, PhD

At the time of the study, Stefanie L. Russell was a doctoral candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Jeannette R. Ickovics is with the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and the Department of Psychology, Yale University. At the time of the study, Robert A. Yaffee was with the Statistics, Social Science and Mapping Group, Academic Computing Services, New York University, New York, NY.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Stefanie Russell, PhD, DDS, MPH, Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry, MC-9416, 345 E 24th St, New York, NY 10010 (e-mail: stefanie.russell{at}nyu.edu).

Objectives. We assessed the impact of parity on tooth loss among American women and examined mediators of this relationship.

Methods. The study sample comprised 2635 White and Black non-Hispanic women who had taken part in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We examined the relationship between parity and tooth loss, by age and by socioeconomic position, and tested a theoretical model focusing on direct and indirect influences of parity on dental disease. Robust regression techniques were used to generate path coefficients.

Results. Although parity was associated with tooth loss, the relationship was not moderated through dental care, psychosocial factors, or dental health–damaging behaviors.

Conclusions. Parity is related to tooth loss among American women, but the mechanisms of the association remain undefined. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether disparities in dental health among women who have been pregnant are caused by differences in parity or to physiological and societal changes (e.g., factors related to pregnant women’s access to care) paralleling reproductive choices.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. B. Grant HIGH VITAMIN D AND CALCIUM REQUIREMENTS DURING PREGNANCY AND TOOTH LOSS Am J Public Health, November 1, 2008; 98(11): 1931 - 1932. [Full Text] [PDF]