Relación entre alfabetización en salud bucal medida con REALD-30 y hábitos de higiene oral en adultos atendidos en la UCSG.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship between oral health literacy—measured using the REALD-30—and oral hygiene habits in adult patients treated at the UCSG Dental Clinic during the A-2026 academic cycle. Materials and methods: An observational, cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted involving 150 adult patients selected via non-probability convenience sampling. The REALD-30 was administered to assess the ability to recognize dental terms, alongside a questionnaire on oral hygiene habits. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used, with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The median REALD-30 score was 20 points (IQR: 7); a moderate literacy level predominated (54.0%), followed by high (30.7%) and low (15.3%) levels. Regarding habits, 89.3% reported daily brushing, 48.0% brushed twice a day, and 32.0% practiced interdental hygiene. Literacy levels showed significant differences based on sex and age. Patients with low literacy primarily brushed once a day, whereas brushing twice a day predominated among those with moderate and high literacy (p < 0.001). REALD-30 scores were higher among patients who brushed daily (p < 0.001), practiced interdental hygiene (p = 0.003), and brushed more frequently (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Higher oral health literacy was associated with more favorable oral hygiene habits, specifically daily brushing, higher brushing frequency, and interdental hygiene.