A population-based study on the impact of orofacial dysfunction on oral health-related quality of life among Brazilian schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of orofacial dysfunction on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Brazilian schoolchildren.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A population-based study was conducted with 531 children aged eight to 10 years at schools in the city of Campo Magro, Brazil. The Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) was the outcome variable used to measure the impact on OHRQoL. The main independent variable was orofacial function, which was diagnosed using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). Descriptive, bivariate and multiple Poisson regression analyses were performed using a multilevel approach, with the significance level set to 5%.

RESULTS

The mean (±SD) total CPQ score was 13.95 ± 0.5. The multilevel Poisson regression model revealed that the mean CPQ8-10 score was higher among girls (RR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.17-1.63; p < 0.001) than boys and that children from families with a higher income had lower CPQ scores (RR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51-0.88; p = 0.004) than those from families with a lower income. Children who sought dental care due to pain or factors other than prevention (RR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.18-1.68), those with orofacial dysfunction (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.30-2.02) and those with a history of traumatic dental injury (RR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15-1.69) also experienced a greater impact on OHRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

Schoolchildren with orofacial dysfunction experience a greater negative impact on OHRQoL.