Self-assessments of general and oral health in persons with chronic whiplash-related disorders.

Objective: The objectives of the study were 1) to describe general health and daily functioning in a group of subjects with whiplash-associated injuries, 2) to analyse self-assessments of oral disease relative to background factors, 3) to investigate if the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey variables were related to the oral disease variables.

Design: Questionnaires included the SF-36 Health Survey, and self-assessed oral health with regard to relevant background factors such as gender, age, education and marital status. Logistic regression modelling was performed.

Participants: Members of a nationwide Swedish association enlisting persons who have problems concerning a whiplash injury (n = 1,928) were included. A total of 979 persons participated in the study, a response rate of 50.8%.

Results: More than twice as many females (n=680) as men (n=296) responded to the questionnaire. A general trend, in comparing SF-36 scores between the present study group and the normative sample, was that persons with whiplash associated disorders scored considerably lower on all scales. Older age and being of female gender, together with poorer physical functioning and poorer general health, were related to poorer oral health status.

Conclusion: Self-assessed oral health was correlated to impairment in general health, a finding which is in agreement with an integrated holistic understanding of human health and disease. One causative chain for this may be through the stress mechanisms.