Evaluation of the degree of dependence, plaque control and quality of life of children with autism spectrum disorder and their correlations with the quality of life and overload of their caregivers

• Grant number: 20/12684-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Social and Preventive Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Letícia Helena Theodoro
• Grantee: Maria Clara Faria Poli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study will be to evaluate the degree of general dependence and for oral hygiene and the presence of visible plaque, through oral clinical examination in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); to analyze the quality of life of children with ASD in their perspective and analyze the quality of life and burden of their caregivers; to evaluate the correlation of the degrees of dependence and presence of plaque with the quality of life and overload of their caregivers. A cross-sectional observational study of a convenience sample will be conducted with 119 patients diagnosed with ASD under outpatient follow-up at the Center for Dental Care for People with Disabilities (CAOE) aged between 5 and 15 years and with their caregivers. A personal, demographic and oral questionnaire will be applied to caregivers in order to analyze through the caregiver's report, the child's degree of dependence, level of ASD and oral conditions.. They will also be asked the questionnaires World Healtth Organization Quality of Life - Bref and Burden Interview questionnaires to measure quality of life and overhead, respectively. Patients with ASD will be asked the Questionnaire Autoquestionnaire Qualité de Vie Enfant Imagé to check the quality of life and the clinical examination of the visible plaque index will be performed. The collected data will be tabulated and organized in the Statistical Package for the Social Science program for descriptive and analytical analysis, with a 5% significance level and subjected to Spearman's and Pearson's correlation tests, depending on the type of variable under evaluation ( p d 0.05, p d 0.001) and also the Multiple Logistic Regression analysis to estimate with the Odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence Interval.