Assessment of oral health-related quality of life and associated factors in children and preadolescents

Author(s)

Taís de Souza Barbosa

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba
• Defense date: 2011-02-21

Examining board members

Maria Beatriz Duarte Gavião; Raphael Freitas de Souza; Ana Lidia Ciamponi; Fernando Neves Hugo; Eduardo Hebling

• Advisor: Maria Beatriz Duarte Gavião

Abstract

Over the past two decades, there has been substantial increase in concern about the impact of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children and adolescents, which has been due to the fact that oral diseases significantly compromise the physical, emotional and social needs of these individuals. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the OHRQoL and associated factors in 8- to 14-yr-old children and preadolescents, of both genders, students of public schools of Piracicaba, SP. To evaluate the oral health, the following variables were considered: presence and severity of dental caries, malocclusion, fluorosis, gingivitis according to World Health Organization, and signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), using the Research Diagnostic Criteria/Temporomandibular Disorders - axis I. Self-perceived of OHRQoL was assessed using age-specific questionnaires, the Brazilian versions of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) for 8- to 10 yr-old children (CPQ8-10) and 11- to 14-yr-old preadolescents (CPQ11-14). Two questions of these questionnaires were also used to assess the global ratings of oral health (OH) and overall well-being (OWB). Sociodemographic characteristics (the child?s age and gender, the number of adults in the household and the mother's educational level), dental service utilization (past and current actual experience) and the child?s oral hygiene habits (tooth brushing frequency) were evaluated as part of the factors associated with OHRQoL. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed using the Portuguese versions of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), respectively. To evaluate the salivary cortisol concentrations, saliva sampling was collected 30 minutes after awakening (fasting) and at night (bedtime) to determine the diurnal decline of salivary cortisol (in ?g/dl), then, the difference between the values of the first and second samples were obtained. Salivary cortisol concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay analysis. The data were discussed in four studies, denominated as chapters in this work. The specific objectives of the first (Evaluating oral health-related quality of life measure for children and preadolescents with temporomandibular disorder) and second (Oral health-related quality of life in children and preadolescents with dental caries, malocclusions or temporomandibular disorders) chapters were to evaluate the psychometric properties of the questionnaires for using in children and preadolescents with signs and symptoms of TMD, to compare the OHRQoL of groups with different oral conditions (caries, malocclusion and TMD) and controls, respectively. The second study also aimed to identify the concepts associated with the responses of each clinical group to OH and OWB. The questionnaires showed to be valid and reliable for use in children and preadolescents with signs and symptoms of TMD. In addition, the questionnaires discriminated between individuals with different clinical conditions and controls, but not within clinical groups. Finally, the results suggested that children and preadolescents view their OH and OWB as multidimensional concepts. These results provide the opportunity to test the psychometric properties of the questionnaires among individuals presenting a variety of clinical conditions and to start a series of studies about the factors associated with the self-perception of OHRQoL. In this way, the third study (Factors associated with oral health-related quality of life in children and preadolescents) aimed to evaluate the factors associated with self-perception of OHRQoL. Signs and symptoms of TMD and symptoms of anxiety in children and depression in preadolescents were associated with higher impact on their OHRQoL. To improve the understanding about the relation between psychological factors and the perception of OH and OWB of these individuals, the fourth study ("Relationships among oral conditions, global ratings of oral health, overall well-being and emotional statuses of children and preadolescents") aimed to evaluate the associations between oral conditions, global ratings of OH and OWB and psychological (symptoms of anxiety and depression) and physiological (diurnal decline of salivary cortisol) variables. Older children and higher levels of salivary cortisol were associated with negative impacts on global ratings of OH, while signs and symptoms of TMD and symptoms of depression were associated with negative impacts on global ratings of OWB (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/00325-9 - Quality of life evaluation, oral health and salivary cortisol and amylase levels - associations with variables between and within individuals: longitudinal study in children
• Grantee: Taís de Souza Barbosa
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate