Gender-specific oral health beliefs and behaviors among adult patients attending King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh

AIM: To explore variations in males’ and females’ oral health beliefs and behaviors and to assess the influence of oral health beliefs on their related behaviors within each gender. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed to obtain information from patients attending outpatient clinics of King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Of the 553 self-reported questionnaires, 519 were filled comprising 251 males and 268 females. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: six demographic questions and 25 questions assessing oral health beliefs and behaviors. The statistical analysis was done using frequency distribution and chi square tests. RESULTS: Comparing males with females, there was no significant gender difference in beliefs. However, when it comes to behaviors, females were found to act more positively than males in many assessed oral health aspects of the study. When comparing beliefs versus behaviors towards the importance of oral health styles, a gap of 12–45% was noted between those “who believe of oral health behaviors” and those “who actually practiced them”. CONCLUSIONS: The study presented valuable information about the differences between beliefs and behaviors of Saudi population. It also indicated that females in general, acted more positively toward oral health than males. Health care providers might need to focus more on the improvement of oral health behaviors and practices especially among males. The real reasons for lack of behaviors need further investigation. Furthermore, oral health campaigns should switch focus from people’s education to oral health practices and actions.