The Relationship Between Life Course Factors, Parental Demographics, Dental Coping Beliefs and Its Influence on Adolescents Dental Visit: a Cross Sectional Study

BACKGROUND Oral Disease is a multifactorial one that includes behavioral and cultural components, and the severity of the disease depends on regularity of dental visits. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between parental demographics, life course factors, dental coping beliefs with the recent dental attendance among adolescents in Udupi Taluk. METHODS Three hundred and fifty adolescents aged 16-19 years from four randomly selected schools in Udupi Taluk participated in this cross sectional study. Information was obtained regarding their parental demographics, their early life course, dental coping beliefs and recent dental attendance. Bivariate followed by multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to elicit variables which predict recent dental attendance. RESULTS Out of the 324 adolescents who completed the questionnaire, 25.3% reported visiting a dentist within a period of one year. Childhood dental visit, childhood dental experience, housing, internal and external locus of control and self-efficacy were significantly associated with recent dental visit (p<0.05). Participants who lived in cement/brick houses were 4.3 times more likely to visit a dentist within one year compared to those living in hut/mud/combined houses (p<0.05). Adolescents with lower external (OR= 0.11, P<0.003) and low internal (OR=0.05, P<0.001) locus of control had lower odds of visiting a dentist within a year when compared with those having higher locus of control. CONCLUSION Childhood financial hardships, childhood dental visits and experiences and dental coping beliefs affect dental attendance pattern during adolescence. These factors should be considered while tailoring interventions to promote the oral health and dental attendance behaviors of adolescents.