Sense of Coherence and Oral Health Status among 16 to 17-year-old Preuniversity Students of Virajpet Taluk: A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

Sense of coherence (SOC) is an important psychological factor that enables people to cope with stressors and successfully maintain and improve health. Oral health affects general health and impacts quality of life. The aim of the present study is to assess the association between SOC and oral health status among 16 to 17-year-old preuniversity students in Virajpet, Karnataka, India. A total of 361 subjects were included in the study by stratified cluster random sampling method. Sense of coherence was measured using the Kannada-translated 13-item scale proposed by Antonovsky. Oral health status was measured using oral hygiene index - simplified (OHI-S), Silness and Loe Plaque index, Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and Loss of Attachment (LA) as well as decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index. Chi-square test and analysis of variance were used to evaluate the association between SOC and oral health. There was no statistically significant association of plaque index and caries experience with SOC, whereas the SOC scores were found to be significantly associated with loss of attachment and OHI-S among the subjects. The distribution of the mean number of sextants with loss of attachment was more among males. Sense of coherence has a role to play in the maintenance of oral health. There is a need to closely examine the psychodynamic factors that affect oral health. There is good evidence that SOC is a resource capable of promoting health, strengthening resilience, and developing a subjectively positive state of health.