Correlation between general quality of life and oral health related quality in the mixed dentition

TL;DR

This study found a weak link between general quality of life and oral health in children aged 8-10, with income and dental issues affecting outcomes.

Contribution

The study evaluates the correlation between two quality of life questionnaires in children during mixed dentition.

Findings

A weak significant correlation was observed between general and oral health-related quality of life scores.

Lower family income was associated with worse general quality of life.

Dental caries and malocclusion were linked to worse oral health-related quality of life.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the convergence between the domains of the
Autoquestionnaire Qualité de Vie Enfant image (AUQUEI) and the Child Perceptions
Questionnaire (CPQ8-10) in the mixed dentition. A sample of 676 children aged 8
to 10 years responded to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral
health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) questionnaires using the AUQUEI and the
CPQ8-10, respectively. Clinical (dental caries and malocclusion)
and socioeconomic variables were assessed. The validity of convergence between
scores (total and per domain) of the two instruments was assessed by Spearman
correlation analysis, considering that non-zero coefficient values represented a
correlation between scores. The median was calculated to compare the scores of
each questionnaire relative to the variables, and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney
test was applied to determine statistically significant differences between the
categories. A weak significant correlation (between 0.30 and 0.50) was observed
between the domains and the total scores of instruments (p < 0.05), except
for the leisure domain (p > 0.05). Participants with a lower family income
had worse HRQoL (p < 0.05), and those with caries and malocclusion experience
had worse OHRQoL (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the AUQUEI and CPQ8-10
instruments showed a weak correlation. Income and clinical variables had a
negative impact on the AUQUEI and CPQ8-10, respectively.