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Comparative Study
. 2025 May 3;25(1):683.
doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-06030-1.

Oral health literacy and behaviors among Chinese university students: a comparative study of medical and non-medical students

Wei Wang #  1 , Changjie Xiao #  2 , Siyi Li #  3 , Min Li  4 , Fuju Zheng  5 , Luxiang Shang  6   7 , Rui Li  8
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Oral health literacy and behaviors among Chinese university students: a comparative study of medical and non-medical students

Wei Wang et al. BMC Oral Health. .

Abstract

Background: Oral health literacy (OHL) plays a crucial role in improving oral health outcomes. Due to their academic background, medical students are presumed to have higher OHL levels than students in other disciplines. However, few studies have directly compared OHL and oral health behaviors between medical and non-medical students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited undergraduate students from seven universities in Shandong, China. A total of 2,695 students completed an online survey between August and September 2024. The questionnaire collected information on demographic characteristics, OHL, and oral health-related behaviors. OHL was measured using the validated Chinese version of the short-form Dental Health Literacy Scale (HeLD-14). Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and mediation analysis conducted with the PROCESS macro in SPSS.

Results: Among the participants, 1,572 (58.3%) were medical students. Medical students scored significantly higher on the HeLD-14 total score than non-medical students (56.96 ± 11.04 vs. 54.59 ± 11.24, P < 0.001), with consistently higher scores across all dimensions. In terms of oral health behaviors, medical students were more likely to brush after late-night snacks, use fluoride toothpaste, and floss regularly compared to non-medical students (all P < 0.05). Mediation analysis showed that OHL partially mediated the relationship between academic major and these oral health behaviors.

Conclusion: Medical students exhibit higher OHL and healthier oral health behaviors compared to non-medical students. Enhancing OHL among non-medical students may foster better oral health behaviors and improve overall oral health outcomes.

Keywords: Cross-sectional study; Medical students; Oral health behaviors; Oral health literacy; University students.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Jinan Stomatological Hospital (Approval Number: JNSKQYY-2024-026). All participants provided informed consent before completing the survey. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of OHL scores among medical students (A) and non-medical students (B). The bars, from left to right, represent the proportions of students with low (1–2 points), moderate (3 points), and high (4–5 points) OHL scores
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