International Journal of Health Sciences

Religiosity/Spirituality Association on Oral Diseases: A Systematic Review
Viviane Borges Alves da Costa, Wantuil Rodrigues Araújo Filho, Ludmila Guimarães Leonardo Santos Antunes, Lívia Azeredo Antunes, Andréa Videira Assaf

Abstract
Aim: This systematic review evaluates the effect of religiosity/spirituality (R/S) on oral manifestations. Method: An electronic search was performed in MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Virtual Health Library, Web of Science, and Grey Literature databases, and specific indexers were used in the manual search. Case-control, cross-sectional and cohort studies published in any language were included. The studies that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed for quality and risk of bias, according to the Fowkes and Fulton instrument. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the level of evidence. The electronic search produced a total of 691 abstracts, of which seven were selected. Although, 6 studies presented moderate and high methodological qualities, suggesting R/S as a protective factor to oral health, GRADE classification showed a very low level of evidence for periodontitis and dental caries outcomes. Conclusion: Despite the results suggested that R/S is a protective factor to oral health, the evidence in general is inconsistent and imprecise, which shows the need for further studies. PROSPERO: CRD42020182480.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijhs.v10n1a5