Association between Sense of Coherence and Dental Caries Experience in Adolescents

MCA LYRA,MV HEIMER,M CRUZ,V MENEZES

doi:10.4034/pboci.2015.151.25

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between sense of coherence and dental caries experience in adolescents. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 adolescents aged 11 to 15 years old who were attending the Debora Feijo State School in the city of Recife (Brazil). Information was collected on socio-demographic data – age, gender, school failure and number of residents per home. Sense of coherence (SOC) was evaluated using the SOC-13 questionnaire and the dental caries experience was determined using the DMFT index. For statistical analysis, the correlation test of Spearman and the association tests of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis were used. The significance level was set at 5% (p<0.05). Results: A negative correlation was observed between the SOC and DMFT index (p < 0.001) which indicates that the higher the SOC, the lesser the DMFT. The mean SOC score was greater among adolescents with no dental caries experience. The SOC score was lower among those who failed school more often and those who lived with a greater number of people. Conclusion: The SOC-13 questionnaire can be considered a positive predictor of oral health status, representing an important tool in the establishment of health promotion actions focused on adolescents.

Highlights

Dental caries is a multifactor condition which involves biological factors, such as dental biofilm and saliva [1], behavioral factors, as oral hygiene habits and sucrose consumption [2,3], and socioeconomic factors, like mother’s schooling level, family income and household crowding [4] Dental caries has been considered the most common chronic disease during childhood and adolescence [5]
The Sense of coherence (SOC)-13 questionnaire can be considered a positive predictor of oral health status, representing an important tool in the establishment of health promotion actions focused on adolescents
As the study was conducted at a public school, all participants were similar from the socioeconomic standpoint

Summary

Introduction

Dental caries is a multifactor condition which involves biological factors, such as dental biofilm and saliva [1], behavioral factors, as oral hygiene habits and sucrose consumption [2,3], and socioeconomic factors, like mother’s schooling level, family income and household crowding [4] Dental caries has been considered the most common chronic disease during childhood and adolescence [5]. The broadening of knowledge on determinants of the health/illness process, in which other dimensions beyond merely the biological component are considered, obligates researchers and clinicians to employ new parameters in the evaluation of this process [10] In this perspective, the Professor of Medical Sociology, Aaron Antonovsky, conducted studies with women who had survived the World War II concentration camps and he concluded that individuals who are able to overcome hardships while maintaining their physical and mental health have a common characteristic: they cope with problems in life by assuming a positive attitude in the face of adversity. These studies were the basis for the Theory of Salutogenesis, which states that the greater the capacity to cope with hardship the more favorable consequences in health [11]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion