Motivations for studying Dentistry: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study in nine Cuban universities

Introduction: It is very important to research into the reasons why students choose a career in Dentistry; however, current Cuban studies on this topic are scarce. This study aims to characterize the motivations for studying Dentistry and to identify the associated factors in Cuban students. Material and Methods: A total of 1324 students from nine Cuban universities participated in this cross-sectional, analytic, observational, multicenter and questionnaire-based study. The “Dental Motivation Scale”, a validated test, was used to measure social, altruistic, economic, and prestige motivators. For statistical analysis, frequencies and percentages were described, and generalized linear models were used to establish statistical associations. Results: Sixty six percent of the surveyed students were female and the mean age was 21.2. The students were more motivated to major in Dentistry by their desire to study for constant progress (57%) as well as the possibility of being able to help others (50%). Those who had relatives that were dentists had a lower social/altruistic motivation (studying for constant progress; p=0.004). Family pressure was associated with an increase in economic/prestige motivators: economic security (p=0.001), stable job (p<0.001) and reaching high social status (p<0.001). Conclusion: Students coming from families related to Dentistry were less motivated by social/altruistic aspects. Conversely, those with family pressure had a higher economic/prestige motivation.