The Impact of Oral Health Perceptions on Oral Diseases Among College Students

Objective: To investigate the mediating effect of oral health-related behaviours among university students on the relationship between oral health knowledge and the number of oral diseases, providing a theoretical basis for improving the oral health status of university students. Methods: A total of 324 valid questionnaires were collected from eight universities in Tianjin. Poisson regression analysis was employed to identify the factors influencing the prevalence of oral diseases among university students and to investigate the mediating mechanism of oral health-related behaviours between oral health knowledge and the prevalence of oral diseases. Results: Among the 324 students, 280 had oral diseases. Oral health knowledge scores ranged from 7 to 22 points, and oral hygiene behaviour scores ranged from 6 to 30 points. Poisson regression analysis results showed that major (P<0.05) and oral health knowledge (P<0.001) significantly influenced the number of oral diseases. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that oral health cognition is a crucial factor influencing oral hygiene behaviour (P < 0.001). Mediating effect analysis revealed that oral hygiene behaviour serves as a mediating variable between oral health cognition and the number of oral diseases, with the mediating effect accounting for 62.91% of the total effect. Conclusion: Oral hygiene behaviour partially mediates the relationship between oral health cognition and the number of oral diseases. Improving oral health awareness and promoting good oral hygiene practices are effective strategies for preventing and treating oral diseases.