Household solid/unclean cooking fuel use and oral health endpoints among adults aged 50 years and older

This study aimed to investigate the association between the use of solid fuels for cooking and two oral health outcomes - edentulism and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) - in a nationally representative sample of Brazilian adults aged 50 years and older. Data were from the second wave (2019-2021) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSI-Brazil). Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for edentulism and poor OHRQoL, defined as a score greater than zero on the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) questionnaire. Analyses stratified by sex were also performed. The analytical samples included 8978 individuals for edentulism and 8857 for OHRQoL. Individuals exposed to solid fuels had higher prevalence of edentulism (PR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.30) and poor OHRQoL (PR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.46) than those unexposed. The association with edentulism was stronger among women, whereas the association with OHRQoL was more pronounced among men. The use of solid cooking fuels was associated with a higher prevalence of edentulism and poorer OHRQoL among older Brazilian adults.