Self-perception of oral health among schoolchildren in a city of Amazonas, Brazil: related factors

Adriana Gama Rebouças,Fabio Rodrigues,Flávia Martão Flório

doi:10.1590/1981-863720170001000073053

Adriana Gama Rebouças, Fabio Rodrigues + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-863720170001000073053

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: The association between self-perception in oral health, history of caries and sex was evaluated in students from São Gabriel da Cachoeira, in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Methods: The sample was composed of 509 students enrolled in six public schools of the municipal and state education system. The epidemiological study was performed by a calibrated examiner (Kappa=0.98) using the DMF-T and dmf-t indices. Self-perception in oral health was measured using the CPQ8-10 Child Perceptions Questionnaire for children aged between 8 and 10 and the CPQ11-14 for children aged between 11 and 14, in which the domains were oral symptoms, functional limitation, emotional well-being and social well-being. Results: The significance of the associations between the variables was tested using bivariate analysis, and the associations that presented p-values lower than 0.20 (p<0.20) were tested using multiple logistic regression models, the intention being to keep those with p≤0.05. The group aged between 8 and 10 years showed a mean DMF-T of 0.82 (± 1.33) and dmf-t of 2.54 (± 2.59), whilst the group aged between 11 and 14 had a DMF-T of 2.08 (± 2.41) and dmf-t of 1.5 (± 1.77). Conclusion: Sex was the variable that most influenced the dimensions evaluated, followed by the oral condition. The presence of decayed teeth did not influence the children's self-perception about their oral health.

Highlights

Clinical indicators can be used to measure the population’s health, the use of subjective indicators that evaluate the impact on quality of life, by means of self-perception, encompassing psychological and social aspects, adds new understanding of how diseases affect the individual as a whole[1,2].In this context, there are specific, validated questionnaires that make it possible to measure the impact of these problems on individuals’ quality of life[3]
Specific tools have been developed for these publics[5,6,7], which include the CPQ8-105,8 and the CPQ11-145,9 recommended for the age groups which constitute the present study
Self-perception of oral health among schoolchildren of São Gabriel da Cachoeira is the third largest municipality in Brazil in terms of size of territory, with a population composed of around 76% native Indians and their descendants, and is the city with the largest proportion of people declared as being native in Brazil[10] and with more than 6,350 enrolled schoolchildren having severe shortcomings in terms of their general and oral health[11]

Summary

Introduction

Clinical indicators can be used to measure the population’s health, the use of subjective indicators that evaluate the impact on quality of life, by means of self-perception, encompassing psychological and social aspects, adds new understanding of how diseases affect the individual as a whole[1,2]. In this context, there are specific, validated questionnaires that make it possible to measure the impact of these problems on individuals’ quality of life[3]. Self-perception of oral health among schoolchildren of São Gabriel da Cachoeira is the third largest municipality in Brazil in terms of size of territory, with a population composed of around 76% native Indians and their descendants, and is the city with the largest proportion of people declared as being native in Brazil[10] and with more than 6,350 enrolled schoolchildren having severe shortcomings in terms of their general and oral health[11].

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Conclusion