A Retrospective Study on Risk Habits Associated with the Prevalence and Severity of Oral Submucous Fibrosis in the Indigenous Population of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Introduction: Very few community-based studies are centered on the native population of India and to our best knowledge this study is the first of its kind that aims to throw light on the chewing patterns and its effect on patients suffering from OSMF in the indigenous population of Andaman and Nicobar. This study aims to correlate between tobacco associated adverse habits and prevalence & severity of OSMF in indigenous population of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Material and Method: The study was conducted in Port Blair, Andaman in June 2014.The study population consisted of 500 residents of age 22-84 years with known tobacco usage who were screened clinically. Results & Discussion: Nearly 144 patients were diagnosed clinically with OSMF. Thus, a prevalence rate of 28.8%, which was comparatively higher to previous tribal studies in central India. This study is novel to the Andaman Islands and served as a potential tool to educate the natives on the tobacco consumption habits.