Fallea Antonio, Vetri Luigi, L'Episcopo Simona, Bartolone Massimiliano, Zingale Marinella, Di Fatta Eleonora, d'Albenzio Gabriella, Buono Serafino, Roccella Michele, Elia Maurizio, Costanza Carola
Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy.
School of Computing, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
J Clin Med. 2024 Aug 31;13(17):5179. doi: 10.3390/jcm13175179.
This article delves into the intricate relationship between oral health, quality of life, and behavioral characteristics in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism has been associated with various challenges, and this study seeks to elucidate the impact of ASD on oral health outcomes and overall well-being. The research focuses on assessing overall oral health by evaluating various parameters, such as the condition of lips, tongue, gums and tissues, natural teeth, dentures, oral hygiene, and dental pain in individuals with ASD. Additionally, the study explores the influence of age, sex, and certain variables, like basic daily living skills on oral health practices, aiming to identify potential correlations between these factors and oral health outcomes. We employed standardized instruments to quantitatively measure and analyze the impact of oral health status on the overall quality of life experienced by individuals with ASD. The study found a statistically significant positive association between oral health, measured by the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), and quality of life, as indicated by EuroQol 5-Dimensions Youth version (EQ-5D-Y) total scores (β = 0.13045, = 0.00271). This suggests that better oral health is linked to higher quality of life. When adjusting for age and sex in a multiple linear regression model, the association remained significant but with a slightly reduced effect size (β = 0.10536, = 0.0167). Age also showed a marginally significant positive association with quality-of-life scores. ANOVA results indicated that participants with advanced oral health status reported significantly higher quality-of-life scores than those with poorer oral health ( = 0.00246). The study also found that intelligence quotient (IQ) does not substantially influence dental health status, while the "Autonomy" subscale of the EQ-5D-Y is positively related to the OHAT. Unhealthy oral conditions significantly impact the overall quality of life in individuals with ASD. Therefore, it is crucial to include regular dental assessments and treatments in therapeutic protocols for patients with ASD.
本文深入探讨了自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）患者口腔健康、生活质量和行为特征之间的复杂关系。自闭症与各种挑战相关联，本研究旨在阐明ASD对口腔健康结果和整体幸福感的影响。该研究聚焦于通过评估各种参数来评估整体口腔健康，这些参数包括ASD患者的嘴唇、舌头、牙龈和组织状况、天然牙、假牙、口腔卫生以及牙齿疼痛情况。此外，该研究还探讨了年龄、性别以及某些变量（如基本日常生活技能）对口腔健康行为的影响，旨在确定这些因素与口腔健康结果之间的潜在关联。我们采用标准化工具来定量测量和分析口腔健康状况对ASD患者所体验的整体生活质量的影响。研究发现，通过口腔健康评估工具（OHAT）衡量的口腔健康与欧洲五维健康量表青年版（EQ - 5D - Y）总分所表明的生活质量之间存在统计学上显著的正相关（β = 0.13045，P = 0.00271）。这表明更好的口腔健康与更高的生活质量相关。在多元线性回归模型中对年龄和性别进行调整后，这种关联仍然显著，但效应大小略有减小（β = 0.10536，P = 0.0167）。年龄与生活质量得分也呈现出微弱的显著正相关。方差分析结果表明，口腔健康状况良好的参与者报告的生活质量得分显著高于口腔健康较差的参与者（P = 0.00246）。该研究还发现，智商（IQ）对牙齿健康状况影响不大，而EQ - 5D - Y的“自主性”子量表与OHAT呈正相关。不健康的口腔状况会显著影响ASD患者的整体生活质量。因此，在ASD患者的治疗方案中纳入定期的牙科评估和治疗至关重要。
