Prevalence and determinants of oral impacts on daily performance: results from a survey among school children in Italy.
BACKGROUND
The use of health status measures to assess health-related quality of life is not widespread. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence, characteristics and severity of oral impacts on health using the Child-Oral Impact on Daily Performance (Child-OIDP).


METHODS
The survey was conducted on 11-16 years old randomly selected students in Catanzaro. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire, an interview for the calculation of Child-OIDP and the Aesthetic Component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and an oral examination.


RESULTS
Only 5.5% out of 530 children did not report any dental problem in the previous 3 months and 66.8% had experienced dental impacts according to the Child-OIDP. Sex, fruit intake frequency, mouthwash habits and IOTN AC score assessed by dentist were significant risk factors for dental impacts.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the measurement of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) should be an essential component of oral health surveys.
Bianco
Aida
A
Medical School, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Via Tommaso Campanella, Catanzaro, Italy.
Fortunato
Leonzio
L
Nobile
Carmelo Giuseppe Angelo
CG
Pavia
Maria
M
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003753:Dental Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D003945:Diagnosis, Oral; D004032:Diet; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires