Nassar Haydy, Taroor Radhika, Muttappallymyalil Jayakumary
Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Thumbay Institute of Population Health, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2025 Jun 30;15(3):284-295. doi: 10.4103/jispcd.jispcd_77_24. eCollection 2025 May-Jun.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is linked to several oral complications, yet patient awareness of this association remains suboptimal, particularly in culturally and demographically diverse populations like the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The present study aimed to assess awareness of oral health implications among T2DM patients in Ajman, UAE, and to identify predictors of good awareness.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 306 self-reported T2DM patients at a tertiary hospital. A validated, structured questionnaire assessed awareness across 12 oral health indicators. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, with logistic regression to identify predictors of good awareness (score ≥6/12).
While 83.7% of participants acknowledged a general oral health impact of diabetes, awareness of specific complications was low, particularly regarding caries risk (24%) and effects on glycemic control (23%). Predictors of good awareness included higher education (AOR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1-4.6), T2DM duration ≥10 years (AOR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.6-7.0), recent dental visits (AOR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.2-7.0), and use of internet resources (AOR: 7.87, 95% CI: 1.3-46.4). Receiving education from healthcare providers was not significantly associated with improved awareness.
Despite high general awareness, knowledge of specific oral health complications remains inadequate. The findings highlight the need for targeted, culturally contextualized educational interventions and the integration of oral health education into diabetes care protocols in the UAE and similar settings.
2型糖尿病（T2DM）与多种口腔并发症相关，但患者对这种关联的认知仍不理想，尤其是在阿拉伯联合酋长国（阿联酋）等文化和人口结构多样的人群中。本研究旨在评估阿联酋阿治曼地区T2DM患者对口腔健康影响的认知，并确定良好认知的预测因素。
在一家三级医院对306名自我报告的T2DM患者进行了横断面研究。使用经过验证的结构化问卷评估了12项口腔健康指标的认知情况。采用描述性和推断性统计方法，通过逻辑回归确定良好认知（得分≥6/12）的预测因素。
虽然83.7%的参与者承认糖尿病对口腔健康有总体影响，但对特定并发症的认知较低，尤其是龋齿风险（24%）和对血糖控制的影响（23%）。良好认知的预测因素包括高等教育（调整后比值比：2.2，95%置信区间：1-4.6）、T2DM病程≥10年（调整后比值比：3.3，95%置信区间：1.6-7.0）、近期看牙（调整后比值比：2.92，95%置信区间：1.2-7.0）以及使用互联网资源（调整后比值比：7.87，95%置信区间：1.3-46.4）。从医疗服务提供者处接受教育与认知改善无显著关联。
尽管总体认知度较高，但对特定口腔健康并发症的了解仍然不足。研究结果凸显了在阿联酋及类似环境中开展有针对性的、符合文化背景的教育干预措施以及将口腔健康教育纳入糖尿病护理方案的必要性。
