Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre salud bucal, mediante el índice de Hiroshima HU-DBI, en estudiantes de odontología de la Universidad Católica de Cuenca Campus Azogues.

Abstract

Introduction: The training process of dentistry in oral health should consider educational, social, economic, and personal attitude aspects essential for the academic formation of students. Objective: To determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices on oral health in dentistry students at the Catholic University of Cuenca Campus Azogues by applying the Hiroshima HU-DBI index from July 2023 to July 2024. Methodology: The research was observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional, in which the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI) was applied. The population comprised 395 students; the sample was 256 students; the sampling was stratified random probability sampling with proportional allocation, the strata being the academic cycles and their population. Results: The study established a higher prevalence of females (63.3%), urban students (77.7%), and adults (72.7%) in the age group, but no significant differences were found in variables related to age, sex, and origin. Conclusions: The study revealed a median HU-DBI score of 7.17, indicating a need for improvement in oral health care knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Clinical students scored higher on the HU-DBI scale than preclinical students, indicating the necessity for early courses in dental public health, preventive dentistry, and profile analysis in undergraduate dental programs to improve the oral health knowledge of students and future professionals.