Self-esteem level of Brazilian teenagers victims of bullying and its relation with the need of orthodontic treatment

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze self-esteem among Brazilian adolescents and also verify possible associations between the variables: the need for orthodontic treatment and bullying. Methods: The cross-sectional, population-based epidemiological study consisted of a sample composed of adolescents from 11 to 16 years of age, enrolled in the public school system of a medium-sized municipality in the northwest of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. A dental examination was performed using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) in order to verify the need for orthodontic treatment and a self-administered questionnaire containing the Global Self-Evaluation (GSE) indices to identify the level of self-esteem and Kidscape in order to detect bullying. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, association analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 815 adolescents participated in the study. There was a statistically significant association between self-esteem and the variables: sex (p