title: Oral health-related quality of life among outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of the Oral Status And Rheumatoid Arthritis (OSARA) cross-sectional study were to study the oral health-related quality of life and to assess the associated factors in a population of outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis in France.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were collected by five trained and standardised dentists who asked each subject the questions of a socio-demographic, behavioural and medical questionnaire, which was completed with the medical records, and performed the dental examination. Each subject filled out two self-assessment questionnaires: the Health Assessment Questionnaire and the General Oral Health Assessment Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three subjects were included. The mean age of the participants was 60.2 ± 11.9 years and 75.3% were women. For 58.3% of the subjects, their self-perceived oral health-related quality of life was described as poor. The logistic regression analysis found that a small number of teeth and marked difficulties in dressing and grooming were associated with bad oral health-related quality of life [ORa = 10.5 (1.96-56.19) and ORa = 4.3 (1.15-15.77), respectively].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More care should be given to the prevention of dental diseases in order to improve the oral health-related quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and their self-esteem, which will already be heavily affected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Lille Faculty of Dentistry, Lille 2 University, Lille, France. alessandra.blaizot@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blaizot
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monsarrat
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Constantin
authors.forename: Jean-Noel
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Vergnes
authors.forename: Gabriel Fernandez
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: de Grado
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nabet
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cantagrel
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sixou
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires