title: The Relationship Between Life Course Factors, Parental Demographics, Dental Coping Beliefs and Its Influence on Adolescents Dental Visit: a Cross Sectional Study.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Thai Moogambigai Dental College and Hospital, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Srinivasan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, V.S.P.M. Dental College, Nagpur, India.
authors.forename: Sachin G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Khatri
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, India.
authors.forename: Shashidhar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sri Krishna Institute of Medical and Dental Sciences, Karad, India.
authors.forename: Snehal T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Patil
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009909:Oral Health; D010290:Parents; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011203:Poverty; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Coping beliefs; dental attendance; life course; locus of control; social class