Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Oral and systemic diseases share common social and biological risk factors, yet their interplay remains insufficiently understood, particularly in the context of aging. This thesis primarily investigates the causal effect of social adversity on the development of oral conditions (OC) and multimorbidity inclusive of oral conditions (MIOC) over seven years, using data from middle-aged and older adults from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Social adversity significantly increased the odds of both outcomes, with the strongest effects observed in middle-aged individuals. As a secondary objective, the thesis examined whether epigenetic age acceleration, measured using DunedinPACE and GrimAge epigenetic clocks, is associated with developing OC and MIOC. In a subsample with DNA methylation data, both measures were linked to increased odds of both outcomes, with some variations across socio-exposomal factors. Together, these findings highlight the causal role of the social determinants in oral- systemic health and demonstrate the utility of epigenetic clocks as biomarkers for identifying individuals at social and biological risk of chronic diseases.
Author: Esemezie, Alex Olisaemeka
Institution: Western University
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7205352641