Prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) in adults of Western Maharashtra, India: A cross-sectional study

Background: Oral cavity cancer is estimated to be the third most common malignancy after cancer of cervix and stomach in developing countries. Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between smoking, alcoholic consumption, betel quid chewing, and OPMD in a prospective manner. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 35–55-year-old adults of Western Maharashtra, India. Oral cavity examination as recommended by the American Dental Association specification was followed. Data recorded were transferred from precoded survey pro forma to the computer. The prevalence of OPMD was assessed by determining the percentage of the study population affected. Analysis was done to find out the risk of oral premalignant disorders. The Chi-square (x2) test and adjusted odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0 was used for the statistical analysis and significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: Odds of having OPMD are five times higher for those who smoke (OR = 5.78; 95% CI, [6.18, 7.82]) as compared to those who do not. The odds of suffering from OPMD are about five times higher among those who chew as compared to those who do not (OR = 4.98; 95%CI, [2.91, 7.28]). The mean frequency of tobacco chewing per day and duration in years in participants with OPMDs was significantly higher as compared with normal oral mucosa (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05), respectively, in the use of different tobacco forms. Conclusion: These findings can be used to design case control or cohort studies to further understand the relation between habits and OPMD.