Abstract
BACKGROUND: The objective of this investigation was to assess the oral health (OH) of Bosnia and Herzegovinian adolescents in relation to differences and socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 306 school children from high schools located in the Tuzla Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The sample consisted of 183 females and 123 males between 15 and 18 years old (mean of 16.82 years old). The study was conducted between December 2019 and March 2020, via an Annex 8 questionnaire from the World Health Organization (WHO), which collected information on OH behaviours, self-perceptions of oral health and dietary factors responsible for the OH of each subject. SES was categorized using five variables (occupation, education, income, place of residence and number of family members). Cross-tabulations were evaluated according to sex and socioeconomic status (SES) via the chi-square test. RESULTS: Over 40% of the participants consumed sweets, cakes and biscuits on daily basis, whereas 41.5% of the participants visited a dentist only in the case of pain. The consumption of sweets (p = 0.024) and cakes and biscuits (p = 0.011) on a daily basis was significantly greater in female adolescents than in male adolescents. Compared with male adolescents, female adolescents reported occasional toothaches more frequently (p = 0.001) and were more dissatisfied with their dental appearance (p = 0.008) but presented a greater frequency of flossing (p = 0.001) and toothbrushing (3-5 times a day) (p = 0.0001). There was no association between the different levels (below average, average, above average) of SES and factors affecting OH status of adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed significant sex differences in several factors affecting OH status and revealed no relationship between SES and OH behaviours or between perceptions and risk factors affecting OH in 15-18-year-old adolescents. Data obtained from this study might help in the creation of new OH prevention programs aimed at improving the OH status of adolescents in Bosnia and Herzegovina.