Faculty of Health Sciences, Beira Interior University, Covilhã, Portugal.
Department of Economics, Management and Social Sciences, Portuguese Catholic University, Viseu, Portugal.
PLoS One. 2018 Mar 21;13(3):e0193953. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193953. eCollection 2018.
Individuals with disabilities are regarded as a highly vulnerable population group, particularly as far as oral health is concern. However, few studies have assessed the impact of the oral condition on the quality of life of these individuals. Therefore, the aim of this study is to expand knowledge on the oral health status of the Portuguese adults with mild intellectual disability, and to assess how the patient's oral health is related to their quality of life. A sample of 240 adults with mild intellectual disabilities linked to the Portuguese Federation for Intellectual Disability, were interviewed using a previously validated version of the Oral Health Impact Profile. An oral health examination was also conducted using three oral health indexes: Clinical Oral Health Index (COHI); Clinical Oral Care Needs Index (COCNI) and the Clinical Oral Prevention Index (COPI). Sociodemographic characteristics and dental health factors were also collected, following statistical analysis. More than half of the individuals (54,9%) presented one or more problems of major to severe impact on health (COHI level 2); only 4,6% of the individuals do not need treatment or examination (COCNI level 0) and 85% of the study sample needs measures of educational or preventive action (COPI level 1). In 76,9% of the participants, oral health had impact on the quality of life. The most affected dimensions of life were physical pain with 61,9%, followed by psychological discomfort and psychological disability with 45,1% and 45%, respectively. With relation to oral health factors and sociodemographic variables it was verified that fewer teeth and higher self-perception of need for dental treatment had a negative impact on the quality of life. On the other hand, institutionalization and an increase in at least one category in the self-perception of the oral health status had a positive impact on the quality of life. Given the high burden of oral disease and the considerable impact on quality of life found in this study, the establishment of guidelines to improve the oral health and quality of life of these individuals should be regarded as imperative.
残疾人被视为高度脆弱的人群，尤其是在口腔健康方面。然而，很少有研究评估口腔状况对这些人的生活质量的影响。因此，本研究旨在扩大对葡萄牙轻度智力障碍成年人口腔健康状况的认识，并评估患者的口腔健康与生活质量的关系。研究样本为 240 名与葡萄牙智力残疾联合会有关的轻度智力障碍成年人，使用先前验证过的口腔健康影响简表进行访谈。还使用三个口腔健康指数：临床口腔健康指数（COHI）、临床口腔护理需求指数（COCNI）和临床口腔预防指数（COPI）对口腔健康进行检查。收集了社会人口统计学特征和牙齿健康因素，并进行了统计分析。超过一半的个体（54.9%）存在一个或多个对健康有重大到严重影响的问题（COHI 水平 2）；只有 4.6%的个体不需要治疗或检查（COCNI 水平 0），85%的研究样本需要采取教育或预防措施（COPI 水平 1）。在 76.9%的参与者中，口腔健康对生活质量有影响。受影响最严重的生活维度是身体疼痛，占 61.9%，其次是心理不适和心理残疾，分别为 45.1%和 45%。关于口腔健康因素和社会人口统计学变量，发现牙齿较少和自我感知需要更多的牙科治疗对生活质量有负面影响。另一方面，机构化和自我感知的口腔健康状况至少增加一个类别对生活质量有积极影响。鉴于口腔疾病的高负担和本研究中发现的对生活质量的相当大影响，应该认为制定改善这些人口腔健康和生活质量的指南是当务之急。
