DENTAL CARIES EXPERIENCE AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Dental caries is a frequent oral health issue in young adults and the psychological stress of undergraduate students may be associated with the academic workload, examinations, financial issues, and other stressors. Perceived stress can affect the oral health-related behaviors and possibly be related to dental caries experience.

Objective: To assess dental caries experience and perceived stress among undergraduate students in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Methods: The study design was descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted on 384 undergraduate students in Peshawar from September to December, 2024. Convenience sampling was used for the selection of participants. Perceived stress was assessed using the 10 item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and dental caries experience was assessed using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Some sociodemographic and academic data were also gathered. The SPSS version 25 software was used to analyze the data by descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

Results: Of the 384 participants, 240 (62.5%) were male and 144 (37.5%) were female. The majority of the participants were 21 years old, and enrolled in the second-year (20.8% and 40.6% respectively). The largest academic grouping was the BS Medical Laboratory Technology students (26.8%). The mean number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth was 1.83 ± 0.77, 1.53 ± 0.62, and 1.56 ± 0.64, respectively. Compared to the items that participants responded to with “sometimes,” there was a range of perceived stress responses in the PSS.

Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that dental caries experience and perceived stress were noted in the study population. The results emphasize the need for integrating oral health promotion and stress-related health education in undergraduate student health programs.