The Role of Psychosocial Factors in Oral Health and Related Major Chronic Conditions
Abstract
Psychosocial factors may be a common pathway that increases the susceptibility to co-occurring oral health conditions and other non-communicable chronic conditions. This thesis aimed to investigate the role of psychosocial stress in the co-occurrence of oral health conditions and systemic chronic conditions. First, a scoping review was conducted which found psychosocial stress to be positively associated with both oral and other chronic diseases. Next, a cluster analysis of oral health and multimorbidity profiles was conducted which showed middle-aged and older Canadians to have varying health profiles based on their oral health and multimorbidity status. We also found that individuals with inadequate oral health and multimorbidity to be more likely to report experiencing psychological distress or adverse childhood experiences. Further research can be directed to better understand the contribution of factors of psychosocial stress to the co-occurrence of oral health and multimorbidity in Canadians over the life-course.