Study protocol of the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) etiology study

Deborah E Polk¹ , Robert J Weyant¹ , Richard J Crout²^,3 , Daniel W McNeil⁴^,5 , Ralph E Tarter⁶ , John G Thomas⁷ and Mary L Marazita⁸^,9^,10

¹Department of Dental Public Health and Information Management, University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

²Department of Periodontics, West Virginia University, School of Dentistry, Morgantown, WV, USA

³Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA

⁴Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Morgantown, WV, USA

⁵Department of Dental Practice and Rural Health, West Virginia University, School of Dentistry, Morgantown, WV, USA

⁶Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

⁷Department of Pathology, West Virginia University, School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA

⁸Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

⁹Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

¹⁰Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Oral Health 2008, 8:18doi:10.1186/1472-6831-8-18


Published:	3 June 2008

Abstract

Background

People in Appalachia experience some of the worst oral health in the United States. To develop effective intervention and prevention strategies in Appalachia, we must understand the complex relationships among the contributing factors and how they affect the etiology of oral diseases. To date, no such comprehensive analysis has been conducted. This report summarizes the characteristics of the sample and describes the protocol of a study determining contributions of individual, family, and community factors to oral diseases in Appalachian children and their relatives.

Methods/Design

Families participated in a comprehensive assessment protocol involving interviews, questionnaires, a clinical oral health assessment, a microbiological assessment, and collection of DNA. The design of the study is cross-sectional.

Conclusion

Due to its multilevel design and large, family-based sample, this study has the potential to greatly advance our understanding of factors that contribute to oral health in Appalachian children.