Oral-health-related quality of life of dental patients: a hospital based study in far north Queensland, Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence, extent, and severity of oral-health-related quality of life among dental patients in far north Queensland, Australia.


METHODS
A questionnaire was designed consisting of two parts: socio-demographic questions and the short form of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) in part 1 and 2 respectively. The survey was conducted from July to August 2014 among patients attending the James Cook University Dental Clinic.


RESULTS
Five hundred and nineteen questionnaires were distributed and collected. Of these, 40 were excluded from the analysis due to being incomplete. Therefore, a total of 479 questionnaires were available for the analysis. Half the respondents (50.9%) reported one or more of the 14 impacts as "fairly often" or "very often." The individual OHIP items with the highest prevalence recorded were physical pain and psychological discomfort. Females (52.2%) experienced a slightly higher prevalence compared to males (49.3%) but this difference was not statistically significant (Chi-square test: P > 0.05). Participants who identified as Indigenous Australian or Torres Strait Islanders and those in the 36-50 age group recorded the highest prevalence (Kruskal-Wallis test: P < 0.05). Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders also reported the highest mean extent score (4.39) and mean severity score (23.19).


CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed comparatively higher prevalence, extent, and severity scores reflecting a significantly poor oral-health-related quality of life among dental patients living in far north Queensland, Australia.
College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Shontel
S
Bilic
College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Ingrid
I
Blomberg
College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Kate
K
Burry
College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Erica
E
Chong
College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Eric
E
Yeung
College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Anura
A
Ariyawardana
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D011793:Queensland; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D009057:Stomatognathic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
far north Queensland; oral health burden; oral health impact profile; oral-health-related quality of life