Social determinants, oral health, school performance and quality of life in children and adolescents

Author(s)

Janice Simpson de Paula

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba
• Defense date: 2015-01-14

Examining board members

Fabio Luiz Mialhe; Isabel Cristina Gonçalves Leite; Viviane Elisangela Gomes; Eduardo Hebling; Dagmar de Paula Queluz

• Advisor: Fabio Luiz Mialhe

Abstract

The overall objective of this thesis was to evaluate the social determinants of health (SDH) associated with oral health, school performance and the quality of life in children and adolescents, as well as test the longitudinal psychometric properties of Oral Health realte Quality of Life (OHRQoL) questionnaires and compare a generic questionnaire of quality of life with other of OHRQoL. For this, two samples were used: one consisting of children 8-10 years participating in the Program Always Smiling (PSS), in Piracicaba, São Paulo, and another composed of schoolchildren of 12 years from public and private schools in the city Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Data were collected regarding on clinical conditions and questionnaires to assess quality of life (Child Perception Questionnaire - CPQ8-10 and CPQ11-14 and AUQUEI - Autoquestionnaire Qualité de Vie Enfant Image) and socioeconomic status, home environment and school performance of schoolchildren. The results showed that the SDH were associated with dental caries and, in particular, the socioeconomic aspects contained higher association with caries experience compared to variables related to the home environment. It was observed also that both socioeconomic aspects of the home environment and the presence of caries lesions, even if treated, were risk factors for poor school performance, and caries experience was an important predictor of changes in QVRSB adolescents over time. On the responsiveness of OHRQoL instruments, it has been found that the questionnaire is presented CPQ11-14 responsive to longitudinal changes, as evaluated by Longitudinal Construct Validity, but with little change as determined by the effect size analysis. The results also showed that CPQ11-14 correlated with the generic instrument of quality of life AUQUEI and both were associated with clinical, social and environmental variables. Finally, it was found that treatment of dental caries has impacted positively on improving of OHRQoL, and had good psychometric properties of CPQ8-10 for measuring changes over time. In conclusion, from the results of the aforementioned studies, there were associations between SDH and tooth decay, and both were associated with poorer school performance. Likewise, it was found that the OHRQoL was correlated to quality of life in population. When the students were assessed longitudinally, it was found that caries experience was an important predictor of changes OHRQoL over time in this population, as measured by the Child Perception Questionnaire questionnaires, which showed good psychometric properties of responsiveness to quality of life changes related to oral health. Within this context, access to dental treatment was an important factor in improving the quality of life related to oral health of children living under social vulnerability (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/01281-8 - Longitudinal evaluation of factors related to oral health, school performance and quality of life in children and adolescents
• Grantee: Janice Simpson de Paula
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate