Comparative Study of Nine Variables for Seventh-Day Adventist and Non-Adventist Teenagers

¹ School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Tennessee Department of Public Health, Nashville, Tennessee

Children that were 14 to 20 years old, 298 Seventh-Day Adventists in two schools and 298 non-Adventists in two geographically comparable schools, were examined for DMFS, DS, FS, MS, OHI-S, DI-S, CI-S, and PI. Reported tooth brushing frequency was also recorded. The four groups were compared for differences and correlations within each of the four groups and between SDA and NSDA groups. After adjustments to age 16 (the whole number nearest the actual means) and to a 50/50 sex ratio, there was no consistent difference between SDA and NSDA children in regard to DMFS. Both SDA groups did have higher FS and lower MS values in comparison with both NSDA groups. One group of SDA, had higher OHI-S, DI-S and CI-S scores than either of the two NSDA groups or the other SDA group. Correlations of OHI-S, DI-S, and CI-S with PI scores were noted within each of the four groups. The effect of sex was significant on OHI-S, DI-S, and PI scores, and even CI-S the effect suggested that females had lower mean scores than males in all four groups. The effect of age was significant for DMFS and FS scores for all four groups in that there was a significant increase for each of these two variables with age for all four groups. Higher FS and lower MS scores were observed in both SDA groups as compared to both NSDA groups.