title: Oral health-related quality of life of children and teens with sickle cell disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with sickle cell disease may have their quality of life affected by oral alterations. However, there is still little data on oral health-related quality of life in these children. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sickle cell disease, socioeconomic characteristics, and oral conditions on oral health-related quality of life of children and teens.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and six children and teens with sickle cell disease were compared to a similar sample of 385 healthy peers. Data were collected through oral examinations, interviews to assess quality of life (Child Perceptions Questionnaire for children aged 8-10 and 11-14) and questionnaires containing questions on socioeconomic status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences in the total scores of the Child Perceptions Questionnaires or domain scores comparing sickle cell disease patients to control subjects. When sub-scales were compared, oral symptoms and functional limitations had a greater negative impact on the quality of life of adolescents with sickle cell disease (p-value <0.001 and p-value <0.01, respectively) when compared to healthy controls. The only statistically significant determinants of negative impact on oral health-related quality of life in the overall sample was home overcrowding (more than two people/room) in the younger children's group, and dental malocclusion among teens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no significant difference in the negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life between the group with sickle cell disease and the control group. Of the oral alterations, there was a significant difference in the oral health-related quality of life between adolescents with sickle cell disease and controls only in relation to malocclusion. Among the socioeconomic characteristics, only overcrowding was significantly associated with a negative impact on oral health-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: marialuizadamatta@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: da Matta Felisberto Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, United States.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Moreira
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corrêa-Faria
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Saul Martins
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabela Almeida
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Pordeus
keywords: Child; Malocclusion; Oral health; Quality of life; Sickle cell