Bio-sociodemographic and economic aspects and their connection to the oral health behavior of Brazilian and non-Brazilian academics

Abstract

The objective of this study is to characterize, relate and compare bio-sociodemographic and economic aspects, hygiene perception, habits and behaviors in the oral health of students recently admitted to an international university. This is a descriptive and quantitative study conducted with 101 Brazilian and non-Brazilian academics. For that purpose, a questionnaire was applied. The data were analyzed and submitted to Fisher’s exact test and Chi-square test. Male and Brazilian students predominated, followed by Guineans. Regarding the perception about oral health, 50.5% of Brazilian academics and 63.3% of non-Brazilian students considered it regular. Of the total participants, more than half of Brazilian and non-Brazilian students brushed their teeth 3 times a day. About dental floss, 98% of Brazilians know it and 76% of non-Brazilian didn’t use it. There was a significant association between the students with age lower than or equal to 18 years and the search for dental care, as well as income above one minimum wage and demand for this type of care. There were similarities and discrepancies between the behavior of Brazilian and non-Brazilian academics. Factors such as age lower than or equal to 18 years and income above one minimum wage positively influenced the search for dental care.