Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: TULIO DE ARAUJO LUCENA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : TULIO DE ARAUJO LUCENA
DATE: 06/05/2025
TIME: 15:00
LOCAL: On-line, pelo link: meet.google.com/ott-hwya-apg
TITLE:

DENTAL CARIES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

KEY WORDS:

People with Disabilities; Access to Health Services; Dental Care.

PAGES: 49
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Saúde Coletiva
SUBÁREA: Epidemiologia
SUMMARY:

In Brazil, People with Disabilities (PwD) represent approximately 8.9% of the population and, in general, face significant difficulties in accessing health care, conditioned by social, economic, and environmental determinants. In the field of oral health, more than two-thirds of PwD suffer disparities in dental care, which also impacts on the autonomy and independence of this group in caring for their own health. Given this scenario, the present study aimed to analyze the prevalence of dental caries and its associated factors in university students with disabilities assisted by the Inclusion and Accessibility Sector (SIA) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). This is an observational study with a quantitative approach, which combined the application of a structured questionnaire with the performance of a clinical dental examination to measure the index of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT). Data collection was carried out in the city of Natal/RN between the years 2024 and 2025, involving 39 participants. The sample was predominantly male (59%), with a mean age of 30.5 years. Regarding color/race, the majority declared themselves white (48.7%), followed by mixed race (28.2%) and black (20.5%). Preliminary results indicated a high prevalence of dental caries among students with disabilities, with distribution varying according to age group. Participants with lower DMFT indices (≤5) were mostly concentrated in the age group up to 24 years (57.1%), while those with greater experience of caries (DMFT ≥12.1) were more present in the age group 40 years or older (60%). Among the main factors associated with oral health conditions, barriers to access to dental services, lack of adequate institutional adaptations, and limitations in physical and communication accessibility were identified. From the point of view of health equity, the findings point to the need for greater attention to this population, since, even when enrolled in higher education, students with disabilities presented a higher degree of caries attack than that observed in the general population of the same age group.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 3254478 - TAMIRES CARNEIRO DE OLIVEIRA MENDES
Interno - 1214923 - LUIZ ROBERTO AUGUSTO NORO
Externo à Instituição - ARTHUR DE ALMEIDA MEDEIROS - UFMS