Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults
A topic that has been less researched on, especially in Romania, is the identification of gender differences in oral health. The present scientific research used an online survey to assess the attitudes (dental beliefs survey-R/R-DBS), the values (oral health values scale/OHVS), the behaviours (dent...
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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Series: | Journal of Personalized Medicine |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/10/1603 |
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author | Ruxandra Sfeatcu Beatrice Adriana Balgiu Christina Mihai Ana Petre Mihaela Pantea Laura Tribus |
author_facet | Ruxandra Sfeatcu Beatrice Adriana Balgiu Christina Mihai Ana Petre Mihaela Pantea Laura Tribus |
author_sort | Ruxandra Sfeatcu |
collection | DOAJ |
description | A topic that has been less researched on, especially in Romania, is the identification of gender differences in oral health. The present scientific research used an online survey to assess the attitudes (dental beliefs survey-R/R-DBS), the values (oral health values scale/OHVS), the behaviours (dental neglect scale/DNS), and the literacy (oral health literacy scale/OHLS) related to oral health and to dental professional services in the case of a sample of 600 Romanian adults (Mean<sub>age</sub> = 30.84). The relation between the level of knowledge as a predictor of attitudes and values related to oral health was analysed by the means of a structural equation based on the partial least square method (PLS-SEM). The results show that women have more positive attitudes towards dental medical services, higher oral health values, better self-care behaviours, and higher oral health literacy than men. In the case of men, attitudes and behaviours related to self-care are influenced by their oral health literacy and level of education; in the case of women, the latter are influenced only by their level of oral health literacy. The impact that knowledge in oral health has on attitudes, values, and behaviours was highlighted. The differences in attitudes and values related to oral health between the two genders can be accounted for by the differences in formal and informal education (studies and oral health literacy, respectively). |
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issn | 2075-4426 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:58:42Z |
publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
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record_format | Article |
series | Journal of Personalized Medicine |
spelling | doaj.art-211577b1e5af4a418efe8d3865d7330e2023-11-24T00:49:06ZengMDPI AGJournal of Personalized Medicine2075-44262022-09-011210160310.3390/jpm12101603Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian AdultsRuxandra Sfeatcu0Beatrice Adriana Balgiu1Christina Mihai2Ana Petre3Mihaela Pantea4Laura Tribus5Department of Oral Health and Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17–21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Career and Educational Training, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independenţei, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17–21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Aesthetics in Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17–21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Fixed Prosthodontics and Occlusology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17–23 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17–21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaA topic that has been less researched on, especially in Romania, is the identification of gender differences in oral health. The present scientific research used an online survey to assess the attitudes (dental beliefs survey-R/R-DBS), the values (oral health values scale/OHVS), the behaviours (dental neglect scale/DNS), and the literacy (oral health literacy scale/OHLS) related to oral health and to dental professional services in the case of a sample of 600 Romanian adults (Mean<sub>age</sub> = 30.84). The relation between the level of knowledge as a predictor of attitudes and values related to oral health was analysed by the means of a structural equation based on the partial least square method (PLS-SEM). The results show that women have more positive attitudes towards dental medical services, higher oral health values, better self-care behaviours, and higher oral health literacy than men. In the case of men, attitudes and behaviours related to self-care are influenced by their oral health literacy and level of education; in the case of women, the latter are influenced only by their level of oral health literacy. The impact that knowledge in oral health has on attitudes, values, and behaviours was highlighted. The differences in attitudes and values related to oral health between the two genders can be accounted for by the differences in formal and informal education (studies and oral health literacy, respectively).https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/10/1603attitudesvaluesbehaviourgender differencesoral health literacy |
spellingShingle | Ruxandra Sfeatcu Beatrice Adriana Balgiu Christina Mihai Ana Petre Mihaela Pantea Laura Tribus Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults Journal of Personalized Medicine attitudes values behaviour gender differences oral health literacy |
title | Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults |
title_full | Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults |
title_fullStr | Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults |
title_full_unstemmed | Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults |
title_short | Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults |
title_sort | gender differences in oral health self reported attitudes values behaviours and literacy among romanian adults |
topic | attitudes values behaviour gender differences oral health literacy |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/10/1603 |
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