Oral Health-Related Quality-of-Life According to Dental Caries Severity, Body Mass Index and Sociodemographic Indicators in Children with Special Health Care Needs

Rawan Rasheed Alwattban; Lama Saleh Alkhudhayr; Sanaa Najeh Al-Haj Ali; Ra'fat Ibrahim Farah

doi:10.3390/jcm10214811

Oral Health-Related Quality-of-Life According to Dental Caries Severity, Body Mass Index and Sociodemographic Indicators in Children with Special Health Care Needs

J Clin Med. 2021 Oct 20;10(21):4811. doi: 10.3390/jcm10214811.

Authors

Rawan Rasheed Alwattban¹, Lama Saleh Alkhudhayr¹, Sanaa Najeh Al-Haj Ali², Ra'fat Ibrahim Farah³

Affiliations

¹ Dental Intern, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Orthodontic and Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the impact of dental caries' severity, body mass index (BMI), and sociodemographic factors on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) for special health care needs (SHCN) children and the suitability of their caregivers as proxies to determine OHRQoL. This cross-sectional study recruited 107 pairs of SHCN children and their caregivers and asked them to complete a questionnaire on sociodemographic issues as well as the Arabic version of the early childhood oral health impact scale (A-ECOHIS). This was followed by a dental examination. Dental caries was measured using the dmft/DMFT index, while caries' severity was also determined. The children's height and weight were measured, and BMI (kg/m²) was recorded. Data were analyzed statistically using t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Poisson regression models. Our results revealed that the A-ECOHIS score was 10.93, while the OHRQoL was affected in 95.3% of children. The most-reported item was 'pain in the teeth, mouth, or jaws' (48.7%). By regression analysis, caries-free children (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.650) or those who had moderate caries (OR: 0.551) were less likely to have a negative impact on their OHRQoL than those with severe caries. Additionally, those whose caregivers had a maximum primary education (OR: 0.656) or whose occupation was in the health sector (OR: 0.721) were less likely to have a negative impact on their OHRQoL. Those who were ≤ 6 years old (OR: 1.188) were more likely to have a negative impact. BMI did not have a significant impact on the OHRQoL of the children. Further, we detected a significant positive correlation between children's dmft/DMFT scores and the A-ECOHIS scores reported by the mothers. Given these variables, which included dental caries' severity, but not BMI, and caregivers' education level and occupation, plus the child's age group, we found a significant impact on the OHRQoL. However, we found that mothers were better proxies for their children's OHRQoL.

Keywords: body mass index; children; dental caries; oral health; quality of life; special health care needs.