Sociodemographic variation in the oral microbiome

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Oral health
• Health disparities

Background:

• Oral microbiome variations are linked to oral disease, cancers, and metabolic disease.
• Social inequalities may influence oral microbiome composition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe sociodemographic variation in oral microbiomes within a diverse population.
• To investigate the relationship between oral microbiome and social determinants of health.

Main Methods:

• 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on mouthwash specimens from 282 participants in the New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Study.
• Differential abundance and diversity of oral taxa were analyzed based on sociodemographic factors (age, sex, income, education, race/ethnicity, nativity), diet, smoking status, and oral health behaviors.

Main Results:

• 69 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were differentially abundant by sociodemographic variables (FDR < 0.01), with 27 linked to race/ethnicity, 21 to income, and 19 to education.
• More oral taxa varied by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) than by diet or oral health behaviors.
• Genera such as Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, and Fusobacterium showed differences across multiple sociodemographic characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Oral microbiome variation is consistent with observed health inequalities.
• The oral microbiome may mediate social disparities in oral and metabolic diseases and cancers.
• Further investigation into the mediating role of the oral microbiome in health disparities is warranted.