Oral health-related risk behaviours and attitudes among Croatian adolescents--multiple logistic regression analysis.

The aim of this study was to explore the patterns of oral health-related risk behaviours in relation to dental status, attitudes, motivation and knowledge among Croatian adolescents. The assessment was conducted in the sample of 750 male subjects - military recruits aged 18-28 in Croatia using the questionnaire and clinical examination. Mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) and Significant Caries Index (SIC) were calculated. Multiple logistic regression models were crated for analysis. Although models of risk behaviours were statistically significant their explanatory values were quite low. Five of them--rarely toothbrushing, not using hygiene auxiliaries, rarely visiting dentist, toothache as a primary reason to visit dentist, and demand for tooth extraction due to toothache--had the highest explanatory values ranging from 21-29% and correctly classified 73-89% of subjects. Toothache as a primary reason to visit dentist, extraction as preferable therapy when toothache occurs, not having brushing education in school and frequent gingival bleeding were significantly related to population with high caries experience (DMFT > or = 14 according to SiC) producing Odds ratios of 1.6 (95% CI 1.07-2.46), 2.1 (95% CI 1.29-3.25), 1.8 (95% CI 1.21-2.74) and 2.4 (95% CI 1.21-2.74) respectively. DMFT> or = 14 model had low explanatory value of 6.5% and correctly classified 83% of subjects. It can be concluded that oral health-related risk behaviours are interrelated. Poor association was seen between attitudes concerning oral health and oral health-related risk behaviours, indicating insufficient motivation to change lifestyle and habits. Self-reported oral hygiene habits were not strongly related to dental status.

The psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire--translation and cross-cultural validation in Croatia.

PURPOSE: To perform a translation and validation of the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire (PIDAQ) in the Croatian cultural context. METHODS: A total of 262 subjects (34 % males) aged 18-30 years (mean age 22.7 ± 2.6) were included. The questionnaire included the PIDAQ, a self-assessment of satisfaction with dental aesthetics, a self-perceived dental treatment need assessment, self-reported malocclusion, an aesthetic component of index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN AC) and an oral health impact profile (OHIP-14 CRO). The subjects' orthodontic treatment needs were assessed by a dentist using the dental health and aesthetic component of the IOTN. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, validity and responsiveness were assessed. Little's Irregularity index was used to correlate the amount of resolution of dental crowding by orthodontic treatment with the change in PIDAQ domains. RESULTS: The domains of the Croatian version of the PIDAQ showed satisfactory internal consistency (α ranging from 0.79 to 0.95) and high test-retest reliability (r > 0.85). The significant association between the PIDAQ domains and self-reported satisfaction with teeth appearance, IOTN AC and OHIP-14 CRO (p < 0.001) confirmed the convergent validity. The domains were able to detect differences in the subjects' psychosocial impact related to orthodontic treatment that improved dental aesthetics in responsiveness testing (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Croatian version of the PIDAQ demonstrated good psychometric properties, similar to those of the original.