Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas de estudiantes de medicina sobre la salud bucal en niños

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the high growth in the prevalence of oral diseases, some of them considered as public health problems that affect the general well-being of individuals. The doctor plays a fundamental role in the control and prevention of oral health in children. Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of medical students regarding oral health in children. Materials and methods: Observational, analytical cross-sectional study, where a questionnaire of knowledge, attitudes and practices in oral health validated by experts with 25 questions was applied to 104 medical students in their last semesters. A univariate statistical analysis was performed through absolute frequencies with their percentages and bivariate with the application of the chi2 and Fisher's exact tests. Study classified as an investigation without risk. Results: According to the sociodemographic characteristics, the majority of the participants were in an age range between 18 to 23 years in 59.65% (62), 58.65% (61) were female, with a stratum three in 62.50% (36) and belonging to the eighth semester in 59.62% (62). Regarding the level of knowledge, 48.08% (50) have a bad level, in attitudes they presented a good level in 55.77% (58) and in the practice section it was regular in 49.04% (51). There were no statistically significant associations between the sections and the sociodemographic variables due to p values greater than 5%. Conclusions: It was evidenced that the medical students presented a poor level in terms of knowledge about caries, gingivitis and occlusion failures; however, in terms of attitudes, it was good and regular in the aspects of practices.