Impact of socioeconomic and clinical factors on child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL).
OBJECTIVE
Child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) has been increasingly assessed; however, few studies appraised the influence of socioeconomic status on COHRQoL in developing countries. This study assessed the relationship of COHRQoL with socioeconomic backgrounds and clinical factors.


METHODS
This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a multistage random sample of 792 schoolchildren aged 12 years, representative of Santa Maria, a southern city in Brazil. Participants completed the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ(11-14)), their parents or guardians answered questions on socioeconomic status, and a dental examination provided information on the prevalence of caries, dental trauma and occlusion. The assessment of association used hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models.


RESULTS
Higher impacts on COHRQoL were observed for children presenting with untreated dental caries (RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.07-1.35) and maxillary overjet (RR 1.19; 95% CI 1.02-1.40). Socioeconomic factors also associated with COHRQoL; poorer scores were reported by children whose mothers have not completed primary education (RR 1.30; 95% CI 1.17-1.44) and those with lower household income (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.02-1.26).


CONCLUSIONS
Poor socioeconomic standings and poor dental status have a negative impact on COHRQoL; reducing health inequalities may demand dental programmes and policies targeting deprived population.
Piovesan
Chaiana
C
Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Antunes
José Leopoldo Ferreira
JL
Guedes
Renata Saraiva
RS
Ardenghi
Thiago Machado
TM
D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D011788:Quality of Life; D012923:Social Class