Relationship between rates of attending religious services and oral health in Brazilian adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether there is a relationship between rates of attending religious services and oral health and oral health-related behaviors in Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out using clinical examinations and self-applied questionnaires. Sample was 664 15-year-old schoolchildren from public and private schools in the city of Goiania-GO, Middle-West Brazil. Dependent variables were dental caries (DMFT and DMFS), periodontal condition (Plaque Index and bleeding on probing), perceived importance given to the care of the teeth and oral health-related behaviors (sugar consumption, oral hygiene and pattern of dental attendance). Independent explanatory variable was frequency of attending religious services. Poisson log-linear regressions were used for statistical analysis of the data. RESULTS: Oral health status was not associated with attending religious services. Attending religious services was positively associated with oral health behaviors such as pattern of dental attendance for dental checkups and to the importance given to the care of the teeth. These associations remained statistically significant after controlling for sex and social class (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents' frequency of attending religious services is not associated with their oral health status but is positively related to pattern of dental attendance and perceived importance of care of their teeth.