title: General and oral health-related quality of life among caregivers of Parkinson's disease patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the general and oral health-related quality of life among caregivers of patients with Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative sample (n = 80, 19 men and 61 women) of caregivers from São José dos Campos, Brazil, answered Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) questionnaires, as well as another questionnaire regarding caregivers' characteristics and caring activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OHIP-14 average score was 2.56. The SF-36 average score for the domain of physical function was 87.4; for role-physical function, 85.0; for bodily pain, 62.9; for general health, 76.6; for vitality, 80.0; for social function, 88.4; for role-emotional function, 83.8; and for mental health, 85.3. All domains of the SF-36 also showed negative correlations with OHIP-14 in the entire sample, but this correlation could not be observed among lower educated caregivers. There were significant differences between formal and informal caregivers for OHIP-14 and for the majority of SF-36 domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most caregivers were female, the mean scores for SF-36 and OHIP-14 were adequate, and formal caregivers had better results for the SF-36 and OHIP-14 when compared with informal caregivers.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Siqueira
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Adriana M P S
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Marchini
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marchini
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000145:classification / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009909:Oral Health; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D010300:Parkinson Disease; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires