Association between the risk factors and clinical severity of Oral submucous fibrosis: A Cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic, progressive, high risk precancerous condition of the oral mucosa seen primarily in the Asian countries. But in recent years, more severe form of the disease in younger age group has been observed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of the various risk factors with the severity of the disease. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was done in 152 diagnosed cases of OSMF over a period of 22 months. The detailed demographics, history related to the duration and frequency of tobacco chewing habits were recorded and clinical examination was carried out. The observations were tabulated and analysed using Chi-square/Fisher exact test through software R version 3.6.3. Results: Out of 152 cases of OSMF, 129 were males and 23 were females. The most common age group affected with the OSMF was 21-40 years and males were the majority affected. The duration and frequency of the gutkha/supari/tobacco consumption was significantly associated with the severity stages of the OSMF (p=0.05).Mouth opening was decreased as the severity of the OSMF increases. Conclusions: The duration and frequency of the chewing habits were associated with the severity of the disease. As the younger age group was mostly affected with the stage III of OSMF, young people need to receive health education regarding prevention of OSMF.