Assessment of Socio-Health Determinants of Dental Check-Ups Among Students of Selected Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian Universities

Purpose: Systematic dental check-ups play a vital role in maintaining good oral health. When oral examinations are performed as regularly as recommended, the dentist may be the first health care provider to diagnose a health problem in its early stages. The aim of the study was to identify and assess determinants of dental check-up among students of Suwałki (Poland), Grodno (Belarus) or Lviv (Ukraine) universities taking sociodemographic variables into account. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 2013 to 2016 among freshman students of Polish (n = 1245), Belarusian (n = 1012) and Ukrainian universities (n = 688). The study was performed with the diagnostic survey method, using a questionnaire designed by the authors. In order to identify the determinants of dental check-ups, logistic regression analysis was applied. Results: A majority of students visited a dentist for a check-up at least once a year (32.7% twice a year; 41.0% once a year). Women from Belarus (OR 1.690; 95% CI: 1.256-2.273) or Poland (OR 1.832; 95% CI: 1.374-2.442) underwent dental check-ups with a higher frequency, as did students whose financial situation was very good or good (Belarus: OR 1.574; 95% CI: 1.184-2.093 or Poland OR 1.604; 95% CI: 1.227-2.096). Variables related to students' health behaviours, i.e. smoking, alcohol consumption or drug use, were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The frequency of stomatological control examinations among students from Polish, Belarusian or Ukrainian universities is high. The frequency of dental examination among students is conditioned by sociodemographic factors. Regular check-ups at the dentist are more prevalent for women and those students from Polish or Belarusian universities who rated their financial situation as good or very good. In Belarusian or Ukrainian respondents, maintaining healthy eating habits was a positive predictor of dental check-up attendance, while in Polish students self-evaluation of health was a negative one. Schlagwörter: dental check-up, dental prophylaxis, oral health