Background: Seafarers face unique occupational stressors that increase tobacco use, adversely affecting oral health and quality of life. Limited data exist from Indian ports, particularly Chennai. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 seafarers using a structured questionnaire. Data on sociodemographics, tobacco use, and oral health behaviours were collected. Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Nicotine dependence was measured using the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied; P 0.05). The mean OHIP-14 score was 8.01 ± 3.0, suggesting a low impact on daily life and generally good OHRQoL. Conclusion: The study found high tobacco use among seafarers, with moderate nicotine dependence being common. However, no significant associations were observed between tobacco use and self-assessed oral health. These findings highlight the need for targeted preventive strategies and workplace policies in the shipping industry to reduce tobacco consumption and promote better oral health.
Subbiah et al. (Thu,) studied this question.