Association of occupational stress and nicotine dependence with oral health status among public transit workers in Bangalore: A cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Public transportation is an example of high-strain occupation and its workers are dealing with immense stress. Occupational stress has been seen to promote tobacco use and this habit is widely present among the transit workers. Both occupational stress and tobacco habit have their adverse effect on general as well as oral health. Aim: This study aims to assess the association of occupational stress and nicotine dependence with oral health status among public transit workers in Bangalore city. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 450 public transit workers in Bangalore. The extent of occupational stress was assessed using 20-item questionnaire. Nicotine dependence was measured using the Modified Fagerstrom Tolerance scale for smoking and smokeless tobacco. Recording of oral mucosal lesion and community periodontal index were done for the assessment of oral health status. Data were analyzed using statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS version 24) using Chi-square test and binary logistic regression (P