TABAGISMO E AUTOPERCEPÇÃO DA SAÚDE BUCAL: estudo transversal entre adolescentes escolares em Goiás

Abstract

Smoking is a major public health concern and is associated with several adverse effects on oral health, particularly when initiated during adolescence, and potentially influencing adolescents’ self-perception of their health. This study aimed to investigate oral health self-perception among school adolescents and to assess its association with smoking, comparing smokers and non-smokers. A cross-sectional observational study with a quantitative descriptive and analytical approach was conducted among adolescents aged 13 to 19 years from 14 schools of a federalpublic educational institution in Goiás, Brazil. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire including sociodemographic variables, smoking status, and oral health self-perception. Descriptive, bivariate (Pearson’s chi-square test), and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, adopting a significance level of 5%. The prevalence of smoking was 7.9%, and 69.5% of adolescents reported positive oral health self-perception. No statistically significant association was found between smoking and oral health self-perception. However, non-white adolescents and those whose mothers had lower educational levels showed a higher likelihood of negative self-perception. In conclusion, smoking was not associated with oral health self-perception in this population, whereas sociodemographic factors, particularly race/skin color and maternal education, significantly influenced how adolescents perceive their oral health.