Psychological Distress, Dental Health, and Dental Fear among Finnish University Students: A National Survey
Pohjola Vesa; Kunttu Kristina; Virtanen Jorma I
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2021093048393
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this study was to study the association between dental fear, psychological
distress, and perceived symptoms of teeth controlled for age, gender, educational sector, and
tobacco use. The data from the Finnish University Student Health Survey 2016 targeting students (n
= 10,000) of academic universities and universities of applied sciences were used. Psychological
distress was measured with the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation 10 (CORE-10) and the General
Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) and dental fear with the question ‘Do you feel scared about
receiving dental care?’. The study included 3110 students. In logistic regression analyses those
with psychological distress (measured with CORE-10 and GHQ-12) and those reporting teeth-related
symptoms were more likely than their counterparts to have high dental fear. In gender-specific
analyses men with psychological distress (measured with CORE-10) and women with teeth-related
symptoms were more likely to have high levels of dental fear. Finnish university students with
psychological distress and teeth-related symptoms were more likely to experience higher levels of
dental fear than their counterparts were. The results of this study support possible common
vulnerability factors that dental fear and other psychological disorders may share.
Kokoelmat
- Rinnakkaistallenteet [19207]