The association between sense of coherence and dental caries in low social status schoolchildren

The relationship between dental caries and sense of coherence (SOC) has not been substantiated in children and adolescents, particularly among those with a low socioeconomic status. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between SOC and dental caries in schoolchildren from a low socioeconomic background. A random sample of 356 8- to 14-year-old schoolchildren enrolled in public schools from the poorest region of Santa Maria, a southern city in Brazil, was selected. Dental examinations were performed to assess dental plaque and dental caries (DMF-S and dmf-s indexes). The children’s SOC was assessed using a validated Brazilian version of the SOC-13 scale. Socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral data were collected from parents using a questionnaire. Multilevel Poisson regression analysis was used following a hierarchical approach to investigate the association between the SOC and DMF-T + dmf-t mean. Children whose mothers had studied for 8 years or less (RR 1.30; 95% CI 1.08–1.57) and children with dental plaque (RR 1.29; 95% CI 1.06–1.58) presented with higher DMF-T scores than their counterparts (p < 0.05). A higher household income (RR 0.66; 95% CI 0.51–0.84) and greater SOC scores (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56–0.90) were associated with lower DMF-T in children (p < 0.05). Children’s SOC seems to be a relevant protective psychosocial factor for dental caries experience in socially vulnerable children.