Influence of cigarette filters on the risk of developing oral leukoplakia in a Kenyan population

• Published in: Oral diseases Vol. 7; no. 2; pp. 101 - 105
• Main Authors: Macigo, FG, Mwaniki, DL, Guthua, SW, Njeru1, EK
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Munksgaard International Publishers 01.03.2001; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Chi-Square Distribution; cigarette filter; Confidence Intervals; Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; Female; Filtration - instrumentation; Humans; Kenya; Kiraiku; Leukoplakia, Oral - etiology; Male; Medical sciences; Nicotiana - adverse effects; Non tumoral diseases; Odds Ratio; oral leukoplakia; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Plants, Toxic; Population Surveillance; relative risk; Risk Factors; Rural Health; Smoking - adverse effects; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Kenya; Africa; Human; Oral cavity; Premalignant lesion; Leukoplasia; Stomatology; Cigarette filter; Risk factor; Tobacco smoking; Influence; Oral cavity disease; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 1354-523X; 1601-0825
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1601-0825.2001.70206.x

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of cigarette filters and the effect of smoking Kiraiku (home processed, hand rolled tobacco) on the risk of developing oral leukoplakia among cigarette smokers. DESIGN: Case control using population‐based study groups in a Kenyan rural community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 85 cases and 141 controls identified in a cross‐section house‐to‐house screening of subjects aged 15 years and over and matched for sex, age (±3 years) and cluster origin were compared for their use of filter and non‐filter cigarettes as well as their history of smoking Kiraiku. RESULTS: The relative risk (RR) of oral leukoplakia was 9.1 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 4.1–20.2) in smokers of filter cigarettes and 9.8 (95% CI = 2.3–47.0) in smokers of non‐filter cigarettes. The RR in the latter compared to the former was 1.1 and was not statistically significant. Regarding the influence of smoking Kiraiku, the RR of this lesion was 29.3 in smokers of both Kiraiku and filter cigarettes and 17.3 in smokers of both Kiraiku and non‐filter cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistically significant difference between the influence of filter and non‐filter cigarettes on the risk of developing oral leukoplakia. The effect of Kiraiku on the risk of this lesion was stronger in filter than in non‐filter cigarettes. However, the confounding effect of tobacco dose response parameters could not be ruled out.