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Self‐assessed oral health, cognitive vulnerability and dental anxiety in children: testing a mediational model
Author(s) -
CarrilloDíaz María,
Crego Antonio,
Armfield Jason M.,
Romero Martín
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.2011.00646.x
Subject(s) - anxiety , medicine , cognition , structural equation modeling , cognitive vulnerability , clinical psychology , vulnerability (computing) , psychiatry , depressive symptoms , statistics , mathematics , computer security , computer science
Carrillo‐Díaz M, Crego A, Armfield JM, Romero M. Self‐assessed oral health, cognitive vulnerability and dental anxiety in children: testing a mediational model. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2012; 40: 8–16. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objective: To explain the association between children’s self‐perceived oral health status and dental anxiety, by considering their levels of cognitive vulnerability. Methods: Participants were 161 children (47.8% female; mean age = 11.93 years) who filled in a questionnaire comprising self‐assessed oral health‐related status, dental treatment‐related cognitive vulnerability and dental anxiety measures. Gender, age and number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth were controlled for. Bivariate correlations, hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modelling were conducted to test the hypotheses. Results: Subjective oral health status, cognitive vulnerability variables and dental anxiety were strongly correlated. Regression and structural models testing the mediating effects of cognitive vulnerability variables on the relationship between perceived oral health and dental anxiety were supported. Conclusions: The activation of the cognitive vulnerability schema, as a mediating variable, is a mechanism by means of which children’s self‐perceptions of a poor oral health might lead to dental anxiety. Both components of vulnerability analysed (threat and disgust) contribute decisively to this potential process.