Factors related to the use of dental services among adolescents from Gravataí, RS, Brazil, in 2005.

INTRODUCTION Access to health services, including those for oral health, depends upon socioeconomic, environmental and individual factors. Moreover, cultural and lifestyle differences also influence the degree to which services are sought. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess factors associated with the use of dental services among adolescents in the 7th grade of public primary schools from the city of Gravataí, RS, Brazil, in 2005. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was carried out. Data were collected in schools through self-administered questionnaires evaluating demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors, lifestyle, oral health habits and behaviors of 1,170 adolescents, using the Global School-Based Student Health Survey, International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Body Shape Questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out by means of Cox regression modified for cross-sectional studies, using the STATA 6.0 software. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed from a hierarchical conceptual model supported by the literature on hierarchical models. RESULTS The use of dental services was less frequent among those who reported concern with body image and involvement in fights; those whose parents did not know where they were in their leisure time, those who brushed their teeth less than twice a day, those who did not use dental floss daily, those who reported seeking dental services for curative treatment and those with a lower socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the use of dental services by adolescents depends upon the interaction of psychosocial and individual factors as well as the family context.