IADR Abstract Archives
Oral Health Literacy is Associated with Dental Caries in Preadolescents
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between cavitated dental caries and oral health literacy (OHL), family characteristics and socio-demographic factors in preadolescents.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 740 12-year-old students. Guardians of the youth provided information on socio-demographic data and the students provided information on family characteristics and OHL. Two trained dentists examined participants for dental caries and administered the Brazilian version of the Rapid Estimate of Oral Health Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30). Control variables were selected using a directed acyclic graph. Descriptive analysis was performed, followed by robust Poisson regression analysis (α=5%).
Results: The following variables were associated with cavitated caries lesions: level of mother’s schooling (RR= 1.58 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.24), less privileged social class (RR = 1.89 95% CI: 1.28 to 2.80), non-white ethnicity (RR= 1.64 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.48), larger number of residents in the home (RR= 1.87 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.81), low level of OHL (RR= 2.02 95% CI: 1.28 to 3.18) as well as the “connected” (RR= 4.72 95% CI: 1.17 to 18.90), “separated” (RR= 4.09 95% CI: 1.05 to 15.86) and “disengaged” (RR = 4.20 95% CI: 1.09 to 16.18) types of family cohesion.
Conclusions: The present findings demonstrate that a low level of oral health literacy, socio-demographic factors and family cohesion exerted an influence on cavitated caries lesions at the onset of adolescence.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 740 12-year-old students. Guardians of the youth provided information on socio-demographic data and the students provided information on family characteristics and OHL. Two trained dentists examined participants for dental caries and administered the Brazilian version of the Rapid Estimate of Oral Health Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30). Control variables were selected using a directed acyclic graph. Descriptive analysis was performed, followed by robust Poisson regression analysis (α=5%).
Results: The following variables were associated with cavitated caries lesions: level of mother’s schooling (RR= 1.58 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.24), less privileged social class (RR = 1.89 95% CI: 1.28 to 2.80), non-white ethnicity (RR= 1.64 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.48), larger number of residents in the home (RR= 1.87 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.81), low level of OHL (RR= 2.02 95% CI: 1.28 to 3.18) as well as the “connected” (RR= 4.72 95% CI: 1.17 to 18.90), “separated” (RR= 4.09 95% CI: 1.05 to 15.86) and “disengaged” (RR = 4.20 95% CI: 1.09 to 16.18) types of family cohesion.
Conclusions: The present findings demonstrate that a low level of oral health literacy, socio-demographic factors and family cohesion exerted an influence on cavitated caries lesions at the onset of adolescence.
