Social inequalities in clustering of oral health related behaviors in a national sample of British adults

Abstract

Objectives: 1.To assess clustering of oral health related behaviors among a sample of British adults.2.To determine the variation in clustering of oral health related behaviors by socioeconomic position. Method: We used secondary analysis of the Adult Dental Health Survey 2009 data. Health behaviors referred to smoking, tooth brushing frequency, dental visits and sugar consumption. Clustering was assessed by pairwise correlations, counts of clustering of health compromising behaviors and comparison of observed/expected ratios. Logistic regression was used to assess variation in clustering of oral health related behaviors by socioeconomic position crudely and adjusted for age, gender and self..