Factors associated with gingival bleeding in adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective: Describe the relationship between gingival bleeding and risk factors (behavioral and psychosocial) in adolescents aged 14 to 19 years in the city of São Lourenço da Mata, Brazil. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 1154 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years randomly selected from public schools located in the city of São Lourenço da Mata in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Socio-demographic (sex, age and race), behavioral (oral hygiene, smoking, alcohol use and leisure activities) and psychosocial (self-esteem and self-perception) data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. The presence/absence of gingival bleeding was determined using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). The data were submitted to descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square test was used to determine associations between risk factors and gingival bleeding, with the significance level set at 5% (p