An empirical test of the validity of the Oral Health Status Index (OHSI) on a minority population

Disease varies in different populations based on sociodemographic variables , and there is limited understanding of this interaction. The purpose of th is methodological study was to determine the validity of the Oral Health St atus Index, a disease-based index, on a Hispanic population by comparing it with the NIDCR epidemiological measures of disease, with the addition of d emographic and behavioral variables. The epidemiologic data were collected according to the criteria defined by the NIDCR, including: a modified Decay ed Missing Filled Surfaces Index, gingival inflammation, calculus, and dest ructive periodontal disease measures. The demographic and behavioral variab les were gathered from 240 interviews with Hispanic adults in two community clinics. Bivariate analysis was used to determine relationships between th e descriptive epidemiologic, demographic, and behavioral variables and the Oral Health Status Index (OHSI). There were statistically significant diffe rences (p < 0.05) in mean OHSI scores among the demographic variables age, education, income, and place of birth; and the behavioral variables alcohol consumption, flossing, and acculturation. Multiple regression analysis wit h the OHSI as the dependent variable showed that the statistically signific ant (p < 0.001) epidemiologic predictors were: percentage of Decayed Teeth/ Decayed, Filled Teeth; Number of Replaced Teeth/Missing Teeth; and millimet ers of mesial attachment loss. These collectively explained 47.49% of the v ariance in the regression. The addition of demographic variables to the epi demiologic regression identified age (p < 0.05), gender (p < 0.01), and pla ce of birth (p < 0.01) as significant predictors that explained an addition al 4.12% of the variance, collectively bringing the total explained varianc e to 51.61%. The behavioral variables did not contribute significantly to p redicting the OHSI regression score. The Oral Health Status Index in this s tudy is validated by its correlation with both the epidemiologic measures a nd the demographic variables. This combination of variables separated the H ispanics into Mexicans and Central/South Americans.