Lifestyle, oral hygiene habits and self-perception of mood in Dental students of the Community of Madrid during the COVID-19 pandemic: could the pandemic have any favorable effect?

e202311100

Abstract

BACKGROUND // The COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures seem to have altered the vital dynamics of the population. It was justifiable, therefore, to try to specify the impact on lifestyle, oral hygiene and mood, in specific groups, such as dental university students in Madrid, who were accessible to us.
METHODS // An anonymous and voluntary cross-sectional observational study was carried out in the first fortnight of December 2021, through an ad hoc online questionnaire, in dentistry students from the Autonomous Community of Madrid. Descriptive analysis of the variables was performed and the associations and significance were assessed using Chi-square and T-student.
RESULTS // There were received seventy-two surveys. 82% were women and 18% men, with 23±3 years of mean age. 94% had good oral hygiene habits that improved with the pandemic. Their usual diet was varied and complete. Women consumed less meat (p=0.014) and more fruit (p=0.066), habits that they maintained, and men have improved with an increase in fruits (p<0.002), vegetables and legumes (p<0.003) in the pandemic. Tobacco (23,4%) and alcohol (54%) consumption decreased in confinement and increase in post-confinement. 36% increased their physical activity, initially low, especially in post-confinement.
CONCLUSIONS // The students in the sample have good oral hygiene and eating habits, which they keep and even improve with the pandemic, including an increase in physical exercise in a significant fraction of the sample. The confinement affect the mood and social relationships, even altering the sleep of women, with an increase in night awakenings, especially in post-confinement.