Relationship between socioeconomic status and attitudes towards oral health in the ecuadorian adult population

Authors

  • María Paula Cevallos Cáceres
  • Rómulo Guillermo López Torres
  • Yaima Rodríguez Cuellar

Keywords:

socioeconomic status, oral health, health attitudes, dental pain, gingival bleeding.

Abstract

Oral health conditions affect a large part of the global population, disproportionately impacting socially and economically disadvantaged groups, suggesting a possible relationship between socioeconomic status and attitudes towards oral health problems. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between socioeconomic status and adults' attitudes towards dental pain, gingival bleeding, and dental consultations. An observational, cross-sectional, retrospective, and analytical study was conducted, in which 384 individuals aged 35, residing in Latacunga, Ecuador, were surveyed. Data collection was carried out through a structured questionnaire that evaluated favorable, acceptable, and unfavorable attitudes towards oral health, and the chi-square test was applied to analyze the association between variables. The results showed a statistically significant relationship between socioeconomic status and attitudes towards oral health problems (p < 0.05), highlighting that individual of medium socioeconomic status exhibited more favorable attitudes towards oral care, while those of high socioeconomic status showed a lower predisposition to seek preventive dental care. It is concluded that socioeconomic status significantly influences attitudes towards oral health, emphasizing the need to implement oral health promotion strategies that consider social and economic inequalities to improve prevention and access to quality dental services.

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Published

2025-06-11

How to Cite

1.
Cevallos Cáceres MP, López Torres RG, Rodríguez Cuellar Y. Relationship between socioeconomic status and attitudes towards oral health in the ecuadorian adult population. Rev Cubana Inv Bioméd [Internet]. 2025 Jun. 11 [cited 2025 Jul. 19];44. Available from: https://revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/3851