Adolescents' sense of coherence and smoking as longitudinal predictors of self-reported gingivitis

Objective: This study sought to determine the influence of sense of coherence (SOC), a personal stress-coping resource, and smoking on the self-reported gingival health of a cohort of rural black South African adolescents. Methods: This 18-month study involved a three-wave survey of a representative sample of eighth graders from 11 randomly selected high schools in the Limpopo province. South Africa (n = 970). Using a generalized estimating equation model, we examined the correlates of recent gingivitis, defined as self-reporting frequent gingival bleeding (GB). Explanatory variables included baseline socio-economic status, age, gender, plaque levels, toothbrushing frequency, tobacco use status and SOC levels. Results: Among our sample, 74.6% reported experiencing gingivitis at some point during follow-up, while 41.9% reported frequent GB at the last survey. Factors that were positively associated with recent gingivitis include living in poor households [odds ratio (OR) = 1.49; p