Association between history of orthodontic treatment and sociodemographic factors in adolescents.

The aim of this study was to assess history of orthodontic treatment and its determinants in adolescents. This was a crosssectional study conducted in the city of Passo Fundo, Brazil, on a representative sample of adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, regularly enrolled in 20 high schools. A structured questionnaire was applied to assess demographic, behavioral and health variables. The association between history of orthodontic treatment and the dependent variables was analyzed by the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Additionally, multivariate regression with robust variance was performed. A total 736 students were examined and interviewed, of whom 57. 6% had undergone orthodontic treatment, while 42. 4% had not. In the multivariable analysis, the following variables were significantly associated with history of orthodontic treatment: female (PR= 1. 26; 95% CI: 1. 11-1. 43), white (PR= 1. 32; 95% CI: 1. 11-1. 56), mothers with higher level of education (PR=1. 49; 95% CI: 1. 28 -1. 74), tooth loss (PR=1. 21; 95% CI: 1. 06-1. 39), and concern about oral health (PR=0. 69; 95% CI: 0. 61-0. 78). Attending a private school was not significantly associated with history of orthodontic treatment (p>0. 05). This study found a high rate for history of orthodontic treatment among adolescents, associated with gender, ethnicity, adolescent's mother with higher education, and tooth loss. Concern about oral health was a protective factor for orthodontic treatment.