Risk factors for severe dental anxiety among medical students

Background/Aim. Severe dental anxiety (SDA) is the most severe form of dental anxiety, thus the aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with SDA in students of health-related disciplines. Methods. In this case-control study the cases were students with severe dental anxiety. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia. The participants were undergraduate students attending lectures during spring semester 2010/2011 (n = 1,812). A random sample of 800 students was assessed for the association between various risk factors and the severe dental anxiety. The main outcome measures were the data on demographics, dental anxiety, habits concerning oral hygiene, nutrition, general anxiety and (co)morbidity which were collected from the study participants by semi-structured questionnaire. Results. Less frequent visits to the dentist (OR adjusted = 7.02 [2.65; 18.60]) and visiting the dentist only when there is a dental problem (OR adjusted = 8.08 [1.28; 50.93]) were associated with severe dental anxiety. The same was true for improper oral hygiene (OR adjusted = 4.25 [1.16; 15.60]). Factors as changing toothbrush more frequently (OR adjusted = 0.33 [0.14; 0.76]) and having chronic disease (OR adjusted = 0.01 [0.00; 0.09]) were inversely associated with severe dental anxiety. The level of education of students was not associated with severe dental anxiety. Conclusion. Inappropriate oral hygiene, less frequent changes of a toothbrush and less frequent visits to the dentist are important risk factors for severe dental anxiety. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175007

Risk factors for severe dental anxiety among medical students

Background/Aim. Severe dental anxiety (SDA) is the most severe form of dental anxiety, thus the aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with SDA in students of health-related disciplines. Methods. In this case-control study the cases were students with severe dental anxiety. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia. The participants were undergraduate students attending lectures during spring semester 2010/2011 (n = 1,812). A random sample of 800 students was assessed for the association between various risk factors and the severe dental anxiety. The main outcome measures were the data on demographics, dental anxiety, habits concerning oral hygiene, nutrition, general anxiety and (co)morbidity which were collected from the study participants by semi-structured question questionnaire. Results. Less frequent visits to the dentist (OR adjusted = 7.02 [2.65; 18.60]) and visiting the dentist only when there is a dental problem (OR adjusted = 8.08 [1.28; 50.93]) were associated with severe dental anxiety. The same was true for improper oral hygiene (OR adjusted = 4.25 [1.16; 15.60]). Factors as changing toothbrush more frequently (OR adjusted = 0.33 [0.14; 0.76]) and having chronic disease (OR adjusted = 0.01 [0.00; 0.09]) were inversely associated with severe dental anxiety. The level of education of students was not associated with severe dental anxiety. Conclusion. Inappropriate oral hygiene, less frequent changes of a toothbrush and less frequent visits to the dentist are important risk factors for severe dental anxiety

Factors associated with hospitalization of children with acute odontogenic infections

The aim of this study was to compare the sociodemographic and clinical features of odontogenic infections between hospitalized and nonhospitalized children and to show what were the risk factors in children that could predict the course of odontogenic infection and indicate the need for hospital treatment. The design of our study was of the case-control type. The two study groups consisted of 70 inpatients and 35 outpatients with odontogenic infections who were treated at Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at Clinical Center in Kragujevac, Serbia. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected retrospectively from patients' hospital records. The following characteristics were significantly associated with hospital treatment of children with acute odontogenic infection: living in a village (OR =7.26,[1.43-36.96]), multi-spatial infection (OR =0.04, [0.00-0.91]), and affection of upper face (OR = 0.01, [0.00-0.86]). Tooth extraction was important intervention in the treatment regimen and reduced frequency of hospitalization (OR=0.07, [0.01-0.70]). The differences between hospitalized and non-hospitalized children were not significant in regard to: ethnicity, employment of parents, anatomical region of infection, side of the facial infection, source of infection (posterior or anterior deciduous or permanent teeth), and treatment (drainage and incision, oral or parenteral antibiotics). In children with acute odontogenic infection it is necessary to do tooth extraction in timely manner, especially if the source of infection is tooth from upper jaw and if it is multi-spatial infection

The impact of psychological pricing and sales promotion activities on impulse purchases of clothing in retail stores: Research on consumer behavior in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

The impact of psychological pricing and sales promotion activities on impulse purchases of clothing in retail stores: research on consumer behavior in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between psychological pricing and impulsive buying, as well as the tendency towards impulsive buying and the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The two methods of psychological pricing used in this research are: odd prices and promotions and discounts. Impulsive buying is defined as a purchase in which the consumer gets a sudden, often very strong and lasting desire to buy something immediately. The sample consisted of 343 respondents, the battery of tests consisted of: Questionnaire for examining the influence of different methods of psychological pricing on consumer decision-making and behavior, Impulsive buying tendency scale and Questionnaire for examining data on demographic characteristics of respondents. The results showed that promotions and price discounts as a method of psychological pricing have a statistically significant effect on the tendency towards impulsive buying. Also, it was concluded that women are more inclined to impulsive buying of clothing items compared to men. The results showed that there are no statistically significant differences between respondents of different levels of personal income, satisfaction with personal income and level of education in the tendency towards impulsive buying