Dimensions of oral health related quality of life measured by EQ-5D+ and OHIP-14.
BACKGROUND
The aims of the study were to compare the dimensions of oral-health-related quality-of-life measured by a generic health state measure, the EuroQol, and a specific oral health measure, the Oral Health Impact Profile.


METHODS
Data were collected in 2001-02 from a random sample of South Australian dentists using mailed self-complete questionnaires. Dentists recorded the diagnosis of dental problems and provided patients with self-complete questionnaires to record the nature, severity and duration of symptoms using the EuroQol (EQ-5D+) and 14-item version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) instruments.


RESULTS
Data were available from 375 patients (response rate = 72%). The EuroQol items of mobility, self care and usual activities formed a separate cluster of variables, as did anxiety/depression and cognition, while pain clustered with items from the OHIP physical pain subscale. OHIP items tended to form clusters consistent with the subscales of social disability, physical disability, physical pain, functional limitation and psychological discomfort. The OHIP handicap items clustered between the OHIP social disability and physical disability subscales. The OHIP psychological disability items split between the social disability and psychological discomfort subscales.


CONCLUSIONS
The observed clusters of variables empirically supported most of the conceptual dimensions of the OHIP. Both instruments covered symptom experience of pain indicating overlapping domains. However there was partial separation of the generic and specific items, EuroQol covered daily activities such as self-care and usual activities and OHIP covered oral health-specific aspects of functional limitation and physical disability as well as psychological and social aspects of disability and handicap.
Brennan
David S
DS
AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health Dental School, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia. david.brennan@adelaide.edu.au
Spencer
A John
AJ
D017281:Cost of Illness; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*