Correlation of periodontal status with perceived stress scale score and cortisol levels among transgenders in Puducherry and Cuddalore

Abstract

Background: The stigmatization of transgender community can lead to various physical/psychological problems compared to the general population. The social discrimination in the transgender community causes undue stress which disrupts homeostasis and alters the immune system, which is one of the contributing factors to the severity of periodontal problems. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies reported in the transgender community correlating periodontal status with stress in terms of perceived stress scale (PSS) and salivary cortisol levels. Materials and Methods: Periodontal status was assessed in 75 transgender participants in terms of probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL). Stress scores were assessed by means of a PSS questionnaire and salivary cortisol levels were estimated by ELISA in 40 participants. Results: The mean PPD and CAL of participants were 4.06 ± 0.70 and 3.97 ± 0.68, respectively. The mean cortisol level of the transgender population was 6.02 ng/mL. The mean PSS score was estimated as 28. Positive correlation of PPD and CAL values with PSS scores (r = 0.592 and r = 0.618, respectively) was observed. Conclusion: There is high perceived stress as per the PSS scale scores and a positive correlation of PSS scale scores with salivary cortisol levels (r = 0.774, P = 0.000) in our study population.

Keywords

• cortisol
• perceived stress scale
• stress
• transgender