Coping and optimism in relation to dental health behaviour--a study among Finnish young adults

Our aim in this paper was to investigate active coping in relation to optimism, dental health behavior and self-reported dental health among 31-yr-old men and women born in Northern Finland in 1966. Connecting coping strategies and optimism with health behavior is an unexplored approach in dentistry, even though both coping strategies and optimism are known to be associated with many health outcomes. The data were based on a postal questionnaire, which was sent to the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort at age 31 yr (n = 11 541). The number of replies was 8690, with a 75.3% response rate. Active coping was measured using the Ways of Coping Checklist and optimism using a revised Life Orientation Test. Prevalence proportion ratios were estimated by applying a log-binomial regression models. The results showed a correlation between active coping and optimism. Both active coping and optimism were related to different dental health behaviors. The effect of active coping on dental health behavior disappeared by adjusting for optimism, education and gender. The results support the previous findings that active coping acts as a mediator between optimism and health. Optimism was also related to self-reported dental health, which supports the comprehensiveness of optimism as a determinant for health.