Volume 22 – Issue 3 (July – September 2013)

OBJECTIVE:

To identify reasons for smoking and its socio-cultural perceptions in a immigrant South East Asian community living in United Kingdom.

METHODOLOGY:

Thirty two healthy adult smokers were chosen through purposive sampling.The studywas set at Wolverhampton Mosque Trust. Personal interviews were conducted using a structured performaand a phenomenological approach was applied for data collection. Frequency and onset of smoking, knowledge of participants of disease caused by smoking, social, emotional and psychological factors promoting smoking, and how they perceive cultural and social barriers regarding smoking were analysed by using SPSS 13.

RESULT:

The average age of initiation of smoking was 15 years (SD±4) (table 2),while the most common factors promoting smoking were peer pressure (28%), poor self image (19%) and stress (19%) (Table 3). Cancer (53%) and heart diseases (32%) were the major diseases associated with smoking according to the study participants, while impact of religion (84%) and wide cultural acceptance for smoking (91%) came forward as the most common perceptions regarding quitting or initiating smoking(figure 2). Majority of participants (63%) expressed dissatisfaction with the existing smoking cessation programs.

CONCLUSION:

Main reasons for initiating smoking were peer pressure, poor self image and stress while religion and cultural acceptance of smoking were most common perceptions.

KEYWORDS:

‘perception, culture, social, religion, barriers, tobacco, smoking and South Asian Community’.

Oral health is defined as a standard of the oral and related tissues which enables an individual to eat, speak and socialize without active disease, discomfort or embarrassment and which contributes to general well-being. The traditional biomedical approach towards oral as well as general health is now being considered inappropriate to meet the health challenges of a population. A basic knowledge and application of social determinants of health is necessary at every level of a country’s healthcare system, so that effective preventive and efficient treatment strategies can be adopted by the various stakeholders in the healthcare system in order to meet those challenges.

This review article presents a synopsis of the oral health challenges faced by the Pakistani population in the light of the determinants of health and gives a critical appraisal of the current as well as possible future public health approaches to overcome these challenges. It is aimed to contribute towards the existing knowledge about the public health aspects of oral health for medical and dental students, professionals and policy makers.

Key words:

Oral Health, challenges, Pakistani population

Ectodermal dysplasia is a hereditary disorder that occurs as a consequence of disturbance in ectoderm of developing embryo. Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia or anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is most common syndrome among large group of hereditary disorders.the triad of nail dystrophy,alopecia or hypotrichosis and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis is usually accompanied by lack of sweat glands and a partial or complete absence of primary or permanent dentition. A case study of 39 year old female with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with positive family history is presented.

KEYWORDS:

Ectodermal Dysplasia, Hypodontia, Anodontia, Hypohydrosis.