STATE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE INTERIOR OF THE COUNTRY: CRITICAL APPROACH TO THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF DENTAL STUDENTS

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sociodemographic profile of Dental students enrolled at a state university in the interior of the northeast region, located in Paraiba. A structured questionnaire was applied to students from the first to tenth periods of the Dentistry Course at Campus VIII of UEPB containing sociodemographic questions regarding their origin. So that the students' cities of origin were divided by regions and states. A total of 192 students of legal age participated in the study, and data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics. It was found that the vast majority of students came from the Northeast region, mainly from the state of Paraiba (68.8%), followed by Pernambuco (9.3%). The most prevalent cities in Paraiba where students came from were Campina Grande (n=27; 101.0 kilometers-km away), João Pessoa (n=11; 159.0km) and Bananeiras (n=8; 35.8km). The city of Araruna, home to Campus VIII, had only 3.2% (n=6) of students enrolled in the entire course, so that few students from the city were benefited. Other cities in Paraiba such as Guarabira (66.5km away), Cuite (60.0km) and Solanea (45.0km) presented six students from each on the course. Among the other Brazilian regions, the one that presented the most students in the Dentistry Course was the Southeast region, with no student coming from the South region of the country. The internalization of UEPB, with regard to the Dentistry Course, was more effective for students from neighboring cities than for students from the city where the Campus is located.