Habitual Betel Quid Chewing Patterns and the Risk of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders: Population-Based Case Control Study

Abstract

Habitual betel quid chewing is known as risk factor of oral potentially malignant disorders. Comprehensive data on the history of usage patterns and the risk of oral mucosal disorders related to the habitual betel quid chewing had previously been limited in numerous Indonesian populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of habitual betel quid chewing patterns on the oral potentially malignant disorders in Samosir Island, province of North Sumatra Indonesia. The present study was conducted to the habitual chewers of betel quid in the working area of the local government clinic of Ambarita in Samosir Regency, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. As study group, subjects with oral potentially malignant disorders i.e. submucous fibrosis and leukoplakia, and as control group, subjects without oral potentially malignant and malignant disorders, were assigned into study. The present study revealed the oral potentially malignant disorders were significantly associated with the duration of chewing betel quid more than 25 years (OR= 4.571; p= 0.022), the number of quids consumed per-day more than 6 quids/day (OR= 4.121; p= 0.024), and lifetime exposure of chewing betel quid more than 1.4x104 hours (OR= 4.571; p= 0.022), meanwhile duration of retention of the quid in the mouth more than 40 min/quid associated with the risk of oral potentially malignant disorders (OR= 2.475; p= 0.225). As the conclusion, the risk of oral potentially malignant disorders might increase with the more the subjects practiced in habitual betel quid chewing patterns.