BACKGROUND: Oral health strongly affects overall health and is related to many factors. The aim of our study was to analyse oral health related behaviours (OHRBs) and gum bleeding among Slovak adolescents and assess the effect of socioeconomic factors on the outcomes. METHODS: Data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC) were used (N = 8896, age range = 10-16 years, M = 13.4; SD = 1.4; 50.9% boys). Sociodemographic and socioeconomic indicators and frequency of OHRBs (dental hygiene, toothbrush changing, preventive check-up) and gum bleeding were collected. Effects of sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables on outcome variables were analysed by binary logistic regression. RESULTS: We found that prevalence of OHRBs slightly decreases with age, and worse outcomes were reported by boys compared to girls (OHRB odds ratio range 0.45-0.75, (95% C.I. range 0.40-0.91), gum bleeding 1.38 (95% C.I. 1.19-1.61), p < 0.05). OHRBs were in most cases significantly associated with socioeconomic variables, lower affluence predicts worse outcomes (odds ratio range 0.76-0.88 (95% C.I. range 0.68-0.96), p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study provides representative findings on ORHBs in Slovakia and shows important associations of socioeconomic factors related to adolescents' oral health issues.

1st Dental Clinic Faculty of Medicine P J Šafárik University in Košice and University Hospital of Luis Pasteur Trieda SNP 1 04011 Košice Slovakia

Department of Health Psychology Faculty of Medicine P J Šafárik University in Košice Trieda SNP 1 04011 Košice Slovakia Olomouc University Social Health Institute Palacký University in Olomouc Univerzitní 22 77111 Olomouc Czech Republic

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