Association between smoking frequency and chewing discomfort among adults: using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2022–2023)

Objectives: We investigated the association between cigarette consumption rate and chewing discomfort among adults aged 19 years and older. Methods: We analyzed data from the 1st and 2nd years of the 9th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. A total of 9,886 adults aged 19 years and older with no missing data were included in these analyses. Results: After adjusting for confounding variables, the risk of chewing discomfort was 1.72 times higher in current heavy smokers compared with non-smokers among adults aged 19 years and older. Conclusions: These findings suggest that oral health programs including smoking cessation policies tailored to adults are needed to reduce chewing discomfort.