Evaluation of behaviors and attitudes regarding oral health among students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate behaviors and attitudes towards oral health among first-year students at the Faculty of Dentistry at the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, and among first-year students at the Faculty of Management in Pitești, specializing in Educational Management at the master's level, and to compare the results between the two groups. The study is a descriptive cross-sectional one and includes a total of 256 students, 156 from the Faculty of Dentistry (Group I) and 100 from the Faculty of Educational Management (Group II). The sociological survey method based on a questionnaire was used. The questionnaires used were anonymous, and the same questionnaire was used in both groups, allowing for comparative evaluation. Students provided demographic information regarding gender and age, and the data were processed using Microsoft Excel. According to the respondents, dental and gingival health is generally good, with a percentage of 51.9% for students at the Faculty of Dentistry (Group I) and 66% for students in Group II. The assessment with an excellent rating was only 3% in both groups participating in the study. Behavior can be changed either through individual efforts, educators promoting health, opinion leaders, or as a result of changes in the economic, political, social, technological, and environmental fields.