Disputas – Master of Public Health Sergei Drachev

Master of Public Health Sergei Drachev disputerer for ph.d.-graden i helsevitenskap og vil offentlig forsvare avhandlingen:

“Oral health in Russian young adults: A study on determinants of dental health, dental anxiety, and oral health-related quality of life in medical and dental students in North-West Russia”

Kort sammendrag av avhandlingen:

Oral conditions such as dental caries and periodontal diseases affect millions of people worldwide. In Russia, there is little information on oral health (OH) and factors associated with OH in young adults aged 18-25 years. In the present thesis, we investigated dental caries experience (decayed, missing, filled teeth – DMFT index), dental anxiety (DA), oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and factors associated with these outcomes.

The cross-sectional study included 474 medical and 333 dental undergraduate Russian students aged 18-25 years from the Northern State Medical University in Arkhangelsk, North-West Russia. Information was obtained from a structured, self-administered questionnaire and from a clinical dental examination.

A relatively high DMFT index, with a dominance of filled teeth, was observed in the study sample. Older age, being a female, high subjective socioeconomic status, and skipping tooth-brushing were associated with a higher DMFT index. DMFT index also increased among students who reported regular dental visits, and these students also had lower odds of being in the dental caries-free group.

Level of DA was higher in medical than in dental students. Female sex, lower mother’s education, and poor self-assessed OH were associated with DA in medical students. Corresponding factors in dental students were female sex, irregular dental visits, infrequent tooth-brushing, pain in mouth and number of missing teeth due to dental caries.

The study showed that OH affects students’ quality of life. Female sex, rural place of childhood residence, poor self-assessed dental aesthetic, dissatisfaction with mouth and teeth, and a higher DMFT index, were associated with low OHRQoL.

Recommendations: The study should be extended to the general population of young adults in the region. Public health measures should focus on promoting dental literacy, increasing knowledge on the prevention of dental diseases, and motivating good oral health habits to improve OH and OHRQoL in young adults in North-West Russia.

Veiledere
Hovedveileder professor Tordis Trovik
Biveileder førsteamanuensis Tormod Brenn

Bedømmelseskomiteen
Professor Georgios Tsakos, University College London, UK – 1. opponent
Professor Magnus Hakeberg, Universitetet i Gøteborg, Sverige – 2. opponent
Førsteamanuensis Lina Stangvaltaite-Mouhat, UiT Norges arktiske universitet – leder av komité

Disputasleder
Førsteamanuensis Morten Skandfer, Institutt for samfunnsmedisin, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet

Prøveforelesning over oppgitt emne holdes kl. 10.15, samme sted: “Social determinants of oral health and barriers for dental care in Russia.”

When: 29.03.19 at 12.15–15.00
Where: Auditorium Cortex, MH Vest
Location / Campus: Tromsø
Target group: Employees, Students, Guests
Responsible: Monica Karlsen
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