Factors Associated with Sense of Coherence in Dental Students

Objective: This study aims to describe the Sense of Coherence (SOC) in Australia and New Zealand dental students by selected psychosocial variables (stress, social support and coping strategies) and socio-demographic characteristics. SOC is a dispositional orientation that measures the potential of individuals for gather, organize and effectively use resources to manage stress. SOC comprises three components: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. Methods: all dental students (n=921) from the University of Sydney, Queensland and Otago were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study assessing SOC. The 85-items written survey covered: the Orientation to life questionnaire (SOC-13), Perceived Stress Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Brief COPE scale and socio-demographic questions. Results: 298 students participated, achieving a 32% response rate. About half were from Queensland University (51.0%), eighty-six were from Sydney University (28.9%) and the remaining 20.1% was from the University of Otago. Students' mean age was 22.38 (SD=3.35) ranging from 18 to 38. The majority were females (55.4%), 59.2% were born overseas, 55.7% speak English as second language and 19.7% was international students. More than half of the sample was first and second-years students. No significant differences were present between SOC and socio-demographics. Domestic students showed the highest SOC (P<0.05). Mean stress score was 17.66 (SD=6.78). Multivariate analysis indicated that stress levels, maladaptive coping and English as second language are negative predictors of SOC. However, social support is a positive contributor of SOC. The model explains 45% of the variance. Conclusion: Present findings would confirm that SOC is related to stress level among dental students. English as second language is negative associated with SOC, independently of other socio-demographic characteristics. This is an initial approach to guide academics in the creation of programmes toward enhance SOC among dental students and optimize their chances to successfully cope with stress.