Impact of Sense of Coherence on Oral Health among Bus Drivers: A Cross-Sectional Study

To assess the sense of coherence (SOC) and the impact of SOC on oral hygiene behaviors and oral health status among bus drivers in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during August-September 2017. Cluster random sampling methodology was used for the selection of drivers. Five depots were randomly selected from the list of various Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation depots in Nellore district. The estimated sample size was proportionately divided among these five depots of Nellore district (n = 120). The SOC-related data were obtained using short version of Antonovsky's SOC scale. Every item was scored on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7. The sum of the scores for SOC was 13-91. A high score indicates a strong SOC. Clinical examination was done for recording oral health status using Oral Hygiene Index-simplified (OHI-S), dental caries, periodontal status, and oral mucosal lesions were recorded according to the WHO criteria 1997. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS ver. 22 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Majority of the bus drivers who participated in the study had a low SOC (60%). A significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation was observed with age (r = 0.1420), socioeconomic status (r = 0.1467), and visit to dentist (r = 0.1912). A nonsignificant negative correlation was observed with habits (r = -0.0681), OHI-S (r = -0.0772), dental caries (r = -0.0874), Community Periodontal Index (r = -0.0642), loss of attachment (r = -0.0650), and oral mucosal lesions (r = -0.0542).

Strong SOC was associated with increase in age, better socioeconomic status, good habits, increased frequency of dental visits, and a good oral health.