Determinants of dental health status and dental health behavior among Sana'a University students, Yemen.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the dental health status and toothbrushing behavior among Sana'a University students, and to explore any associations with different factors.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, the dental health of 360 students from the dental, medical, and literature faculties (120 each) at Sana'a University were examined using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Data regarding study field, grade, toothbrushing behavior, parents' education, and smoking and khat chewing habits were recorded.


RESULTS
Nearly 76% of students (n = 273) reported regularly brushing their teeth. Excluding fathers' education levels and khat chewing, other factors (faculty, grade, sex, mothers' education, and smoking) were significant independent predictors for this behavior. The overall mean DMFT score (± standard deviation) was 4.13 ± 3.1, and was found to be adversely influenced by smoking, which explained only 1.1% of the variance. Toothbrushing, sex, and smoking were significant independent predictors for the decay score, and explained 10.6% of its variance. Khat chewing was found to be adversely associated with the missing score, with an influence of only 2.9%. The filling score was found to be positively associated with toothbrushing and study grade, which together had an influence of 10%.


CONCLUSIONS
The dental health and toothbrushing behaviors of Sana'a University students are unsatisfactory, and influenced unequally by different factors.
Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria; Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen.
Esam
E
Halboub
Esam
E
Dhaifullah
Rasha
R
Yasin
D029754:Catha; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005220:Fathers / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
Yemen; dental health; khat chewing; smoking; toothbrushing