ArticlePloS one2021
Oral health practices and oral hygiene status as indicators of suicidal ideation among adolescents in Southwest Nigeria.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- The association between personal hygiene and mental health, and the modifying roles of the universal health coverage index in children and adolescents: a comparative analysis from multiple countries.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Assessing the Relationship Between the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics, Self-Esteem, and Dental Habits.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Associations between sexual identity and caries risk indicators among adolescents and adults in Nigeria: implications for policy and actions.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Article
- Access to adolescent-responsive oral, mental, sexual, and reproductive healthcare services in Africa through dental clinics.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Article
- Development of the oral, mental, and sexual reproductive health assessment tool for adolescents in Nigeria.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Article
- Constructing prediction models and analyzing factors in suicidal ideation using machine learning, focusing on the older population.PloS one · 2024Article
- Hand and Oral Hygiene Practices of South Korean Adolescents Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.JAMA network open · 2023Article
- Emotional distress and risk of dental caries: Evaluating effect modification by chronic conditions among low-income African American caregivers in Detroit, Michigan.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Associations between Emotional Distress, Sleep Changes, Decreased Tooth Brushing Frequency, Self-Reported Oral Ulcers and SARS-Cov-2 Infection during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Survey.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Associations between mental health problems and risky oral and sexual behaviour in adolescents in a sub-urban community in Southwest Nigeria.BMC oral health · 2021Article
- Association between mental health, caries experience and gingival health of adolescents in sub-urban Nigeria.BMC oral health · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOral health is a less-recognized correlate of overall and mental wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the relationship between suicidal behavior (ideation and attempt) and oral health practices and status, and to determine the effect of sex on these associations among Nigerian adolescents.
methodsHousehold survey data were collected from 10 to 19-year-old adolescents in southwestern Nigeria. Dependent variables were daily tooth brushing, daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals, and oral hygiene status (measured by plaque index). The independent variable was lifetime suicidal ideation/attempt, dichotomized into 'yes' and 'never'. 'Daily tooth brushing' and 'daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals' were included in two separate logistic regression models, and 'oral hygiene status' was included in a linear regression model. The models were adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The linear regression model was also adjusted for frequency of daily tooth-brushing and of consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals. Interactions between sex and suicidal ideation/suicide attempt in association with dependent variables were assessed. Significance was set at 5%.
resultsWe recruited 1,472 participants with mean age (standard deviation) of 14.6 (2.6) years. The mean plaque index was 0.84 (0.56), and 66 (4.5%) adolescents reported ever having suicidal ideation/attempt. Suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with significantly lower likelihood of tooth brushing (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.91), higher likelihood of consuming refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.29, 4.10), and having poor oral hygiene (B = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.32). Among males, suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with less likelihood of eating refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.35, 2.61). Conversely, it was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of this outcome (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 2.23, 10.55) among females.
conclusionThe study findings suggest that poor tooth brushing habits and poor oral hygiene are indicators for risk of suicidal behavior for adolescents in Nigeria, while high sugar consumption may be an additional risk factor for adolescent females. These findings support the role of dental practitioners as members of healthcare teams responsible for screening, identifying and referring patients at risk for suicidal ideation/attempt.
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