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Psychological Distress, Dental Health, and Dental Fear among Finnish University Students: A National Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Vesa Pohjola

    (Medical Research Centre, Oulu University Hospital, 90220 Oulu, Finland
    Unit of Oral Health Sciences, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland)

  • Kristina Kunttu

    (Finnish Student Health Service, 00260 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Jorma I. Virtanen

    (Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
    Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dental fear, psychological distress, and perceived symptoms of teeth controlled for age, gender, educational sector, and tobacco use. The data from the Finnish University Student Health Survey 2016 targeting students ( n = 10,000) of academic universities and universities of applied sciences were used. Psychological distress was measured with the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation 10 (CORE-10) and the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) and dental fear with the question ‘Do you feel scared about receiving dental care?’. The study included 3110 students. In logistic regression analyses those with psychological distress (measured with CORE-10 and GHQ-12) and those reporting teeth-related symptoms were more likely than their counterparts to have high dental fear. In gender-specific analyses men with psychological distress (measured with CORE-10) and women with teeth-related symptoms were more likely to have high levels of dental fear. Finnish university students with psychological distress and teeth-related symptoms were more likely to experience higher levels of dental fear than their counterparts were. The results of this study support possible common vulnerability factors that dental fear and other psychological disorders may share.

Suggested Citation

  • Vesa Pohjola & Kristina Kunttu & Jorma I. Virtanen, 2021. "Psychological Distress, Dental Health, and Dental Fear among Finnish University Students: A National Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-10, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10245-:d:646049
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    Cited by:

    1. Leah I. Stein Duker & Mollianne Grager & Willa Giffin & Natasha Hikita & José C. Polido, 2022. "The Relationship between Dental Fear and Anxiety, General Anxiety/Fear, Sensory Over-Responsivity, and Oral Health Behaviors and Outcomes: A Conceptual Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-19, February.

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