title: Relationship of periodontal status and dental caries status with oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior among professional students in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find the relationship of periodontal status and dental caries status with oral health knowledge, attitude, behavior, among professional students in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross sectional study, a total of 825 students (males: 577, females: 248) from six professions were surveyed using a self administered structured questionnaire including 41 multiple choice questions and the WHO Oral Health Assessment Form (1997). The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 13.0 to perform the Student's t-test, ANOVA test, Scheffe's test and Chi-square test, linear regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean percentage scores of the students for knowledge were 53.25 +/- 15.05; for attitude 74.97 +/- 20.48; and for behavior 59.09 +/- 18.77. The percentage of students with calculus score was found to be significantly high (43.8%). The percentage of professional students with DMFT >4 was 14.1% and the percentage of students with decayed teeth was 46.2%. The regression analysis showed that the oral health behavior of the students was dependent on the attitude (P < 0.001), but showed no significant linear relation with the knowledge. Also, that the mean DMFT score was dependent on the oral health behavior (P < 0.05), but showed no significant relationship with the knowledge and attitude of the students. The periodontal status was independent on the knowledge, but showed a significant relationship with attitude and behavior of the students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A positive attitude and adherence to good oral hygiene behaviors is associated with better oral health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Pacific Dental College & Hospital, Debari, Rajasthan, India. shardaarchana@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Archana J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sharda
authors.forename: Srinath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shetty
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000453:epidemiology; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004517:Education, Professional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult