Date of Conferral

8-25-2025

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Twanda Wadlington

Abstract

Malnutrition and gingivitis are common diagnoses in primary medical and dental care. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the association between malnutrition and gingivitis among residents in St. Louis, Missouri. The study was based on the social ecological model (SEM). The cross-sectional design involved secondary data (N = 2,553) from a Federally Qualified Health Center in St. Louis, Missouri that included de-identified patient demographic and diagnosis information of St. Louis City residents with a medical and dental visit in 2024. This study examined the relationship between malnutrition and gingivitis while controlling for ethnicity, preferred language, race, and zip code. Data were evaluated using multiple logistic regression. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI), less than 18.5 (underweight) or greater than 25 (overweight or obesity) are 1.452 times more likely to have gingivitis than those with a normal weight BMI of 18.5-24.9. Individuals who identify as Black (OR = 1.494, 95% CI [1.189, 1.877]) or Hispanic as well as those who have a preferred language of English (OR = 1.519, 95% CI [1.150, 2.007]) are more likely to have an unhealthy BMI. Four field-based products were created: a policy brief, community health intervention plan, visual intervention framework, and informational fact sheet. The results of the analysis and the field-based products will be used to promote social change by informing public health practitioners about the influence of race, ethnicity, and preferred language on the prevalence of malnutrition and/or gingivitis. This study contributes to positive social change by providing evidence for a stronger connection between medical and dental care that will improve access to healthcare services for vulnerable and at-risk populations.

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