The purpose of this K-23 grant proposal is to develop a training and research program that will enable Dr. Ren to become an independent investigator in multidisciplinary clinical and behavioral research. Dr. Ren is particularly interested in the relationship between problem-oriented care seeking behavior and health outcomes, especially those pertinent to oral and cardiovascular health. He will explore the oral disease burden and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in problem-oriented dental attenders (POAs) and test a brief intervention mechanism for promoting primary care utilization and health risk reduction.
The specific aims of this proposal are: 1) To further expand Dr. Ren's knowledge and skills in epidemiologic and health behavior research in order for him to become an independent investigator bridging multiple disciplines; 2) to determine the oral health and general health status and interrelationship between oral disease burden and CVD risks of POAs; and 3) to assess the effectiveness of a brief socio-behavioral intervention program in promoting preventive care utilization and health risk reduction in POAs through a pilot trial. At the end of the program, Dr. Ren will be an independent investigator in clinical and health behavior research and be competitive for research funding. This proposal describes a career development program that enhances Dr. Ren's skills in interdisciplinary research and a research program that addresses the interrelationship between the oral and overall health status in POAs. POAs have no regular sources of dental and medical care and many of them have not only high prevalence of dental diseases but also multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including uncontrolled high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, obesity and smoking. The public health significance of this multidisciplinary program is that it will lead to the provision of an access point to primary care for a patient population who largely depend on emergency services for their health care needs. It will also lead to the creation of a continuum of care between the dental care and the primary medical care system for high-risk patients. This dental/medical continuum may potentially benefit millions of individuals at risk for debilitating diseases. This is particularly important as nearly 40% of the general population meet the definition of POAs and many of them may not have a regular source of medical care. ? ? ?
| Liu, X; Yu, L; Wang, Q et al. (2012) Expression of ecto-ATPase NTPDase2 in human dental pulp. J Dent Res 91:261-7 |
