# Multilevel Drivers of Oral Health: Psychosocial Stress, Health Behaviors, and Neighborhood

> **NIH NIH R03** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $161,981

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Oral health is essential for the overall health and well-being of adults, yet oral diseases remain prevalent within this population. It is estimated that 90% of United States (U.S.) adults aged 20 to 64 years have experienced dental caries, and nearly 60% of adults aged 65 years or older have periodontitis. Adults of Central and South American ancestry, in particular, experience notable differences in oral health outcomes, including the highest
prevalence of periodontal diseases compared to their counterparts. Research exploring the reasons for their increased risk of oral diseases has often focused on acculturation—broadly understood as the process of adopting to U.S. societal norms, practices, and behaviors. However, such cultural explanations that emphasize individual-level adaptations tend to overlook broader upstream influences that contribute to oral health
challenges over the life course and across generations. Therefore, the purpose of the proposed study is to examine how everyday experiences shaped by upstream psychosocial factors influence oral health among adults of Central and South American ancestry. To advance this undertheorized area of research, this project will leverage electronic dental records to examine the association between perceived exposure to psychosocial
stress and both clinical and self-reported oral health, while evaluating differences by biological sex, behavioral risk factors, and neighborhood-level economic conditions. The knowledge generated from this study will advance understanding of the mechanisms by which broader upstream contextual factors influence oral health. This study is novel in moving beyond individual-level frameworks to focus on broader systems and conditions
that shape access to and outcomes in oral health. Findings will contribute to advancing the goals outlined in NIDCR’s 2021-2026 strategic plan goal to improve scientific methods for understanding and addressing variation in dental, oral, and craniofacial health and disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10952861
- **Project number:** 1R03DE034047-01
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Dina T Garcia
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $161,981
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-10 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10952861

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10952861, Multilevel Drivers of Oral Health: Psychosocial Stress, Health Behaviors, and Neighborhood (1R03DE034047-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10952861. Licensed CC0.

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