Comparison of the HU-DBI index between areas of health sciences and other areas of the University of Cuenca, 2016

Abstract

The University is the place where the students learn and develop skills that will allow them to pursue an occupation, and at the same time improve their attitudes, health skills, that allow them to have healthy living habits and lifestyle. Dental health is an essential part of health and represents an important element for the quality of life. In this sense it is intended to evaluate the attitudes and behaviors of dental health using the approved index Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI) among the different areas of knowledge of the University of Cuenca. This study was a survey with Sociodemographic variables and 20 dichotomous questions of the HU-DBI, which was applied after signing the informed consent forms in all the training areas of the University of Cuenca. The response rate was 56% N=7790 students, with an average age of 21,15 years, DS±2,42 variance of 5,89, the male-female ratio is 1:1,07. The majority of students are of the urban origin with 82,8% and the vast majority are single (7125 students=91,4%). The average of the HU-DBI index is 6,06 with a DS±1,81 and a variance of 3,27. There is a better index of the students of health science compared with the students of other areas. Comparing them with the dental students and the others of the health sciences, dental students who had no clinical contact with patients didn’t have any difference from those of the other health sciences, but the students who have had the clinical contact with patients have a statistically significant difference with the other students of health sciences.