The hierarchical cluster analysis of oral health attitudes and behaviour using the Hiroshima University--Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) among final year dental students in 17 countries.
OBJECTIVE
To explore and describe international oral health attitudes/ behaviours among final year dental students.


METHODS
Validated translated versions of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire were administered to 1,096 final-year dental students in 17 countries. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted within the data to detect patterns and groupings.


RESULTS
The overall response rate was 72%. The cluster analysis identified two main groups among the countries. Group 1 consisted of twelve countries: one Oceanic (Australia), one Middle-Eastern (Israel), seven European (Northern Ireland, England, Finland, Greece, Germany, Italy, and France) and three Asian (Korea, Thailand and Malaysia) countries. Group 2 consisted of five countries: one South American (Brazil), one European (Belgium) and three Asian (China, Indonesia and Japan) countries. The percentages of 'agree' responses in three HU-DBI questionnaire items were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1. They include: "I worry about the colour of my teeth."; "I have noticed some white sticky deposits on my teeth."; and "I am bothered by the colour of my gums."


CONCLUSIONS
Grouping the countries into international clusters yielded useful information for dentistry and dental education.
Komabayashi
Takashi
T
Division of Endodontology, Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington 06030-1715, USA. ICD38719@nifty.com
Kawamura
Makoto
M
Kim
Kang-Ju
KJ
Wright
Fredrick A C
FA
Declerck
Dominique
D
Goiâs
Maria do Carmo Matias Freire
Mdo C
Hu
De-Yu
DY
Honkala
Eino
E
Lévy
Gérard
G
Kalwitzki
Matthias
M
Polychronopoulou
Argy
A
Yip
Kevin Hak-Kong
KH
Eli
Ilana
I
Kinirons
Martin J
MJ
Petti
Stefano
S
Srisilapanan
Patcharawan
P
Kwan
Stella Y L
SY
Centore
Linda S
LS
D001208:Asia; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D005060:Europe; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000523:psychology*; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires