BACKGROUND

The presence of oral diseases and disorders can produce an impact on the quality of life of preschool children and their parents, affecting their oral health and well-being. However, socioeconomic factors could confound this association, but it has not been yet tested at this age.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of early childhood caries (ECC), traumatic dental injuries (TDI) and malocclusions on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children between 2 and 5 years of age adjusted by socioeconomic factors.

METHODS

Parents of 260 children answered the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) (six domains) on their perception of the children's OHRQoL and socioeconomic conditions. Two calibrated dentists (κ>0.8) examined the severity of ECC according to dmft index, and children were categorized into: 0=caries free; 1-5=low severity; ≥6=high severity. TDI and malocclusions were examined according to Andreasen & Andreasen (1994) classification and for the presence or absence of three anterior malocclusion traits (AMT), respectively. OHRQoL was measured through ECOHIS domain and total scores, and poisson regression was used to associate the different factors with the outcome.

RESULTS

In each domain and overall ECOHIS scores, the severity of ECC showed a negative impact on OHRQoL (P 0.05). The increase in the child's age, higher household crowding, lower family income and mother working out of home were significantly associated with OHRQoL (P<0.05). The multivariate adjusted model showed that the high severity of ECC (RR=3.81; 95% CI=2.66, 5.46; P<0.001) was associated with greater negative impact on OHRQoL, while high family income was a protective factor for OHRQoL (RR=0.93; 95% CI=0.87, 0.99; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The severity of ECC and a lower family income had a negative impact on the OHRQoL of preschool children and their parents.

Impact of oral diseases and disorders on oral health-related quality of life of preschool children.

The aim of the present population study was to evaluate the impact of early childhood caries (ECC) on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of preschool children and their parents/caregivers. A random sample of 638 children (aged 2-5 years) underwent a clinical oral examination to assess ECC, and their parents were invited to answer two questionnaires: one on the OHRQoL of the child, the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale, and another on the characteristics and sociodemographic conditions of the child. Descriptive analysis, χ(2) test, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models were used. The prevalence of ECC was 52.2%. The number of teeth with decay ranged from 1 (n = 42; 6.6%) to 20 (n = 5; 0.8%), averaging 2.86 (SD = 4.04). There was a significant difference between the severity of ECC and OHRQoL in terms of the impact on both child and family (p < 0.001). An increase in the severity of ECC resulted in an increased negative impact on the quality of life of the child (rate ratio, RR = 5.32; 95% confidence interval, CI: 3.67-7.71). Greater age of the mother had a positive impact on the OHRQoL of preschool children (RR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.54-0.97). Increased age resulted in an increased negative impact on the quality of life of the child (RR = 2.97; 95% CI: 1.61-5.47). ECC has a negative impact on the OHRQoL of children aged 2-5 years and their parents. Mothers aged 30 or older reported better OHRQoL, independent of the presence of ECC and the age of the child.

Impact of Early Childhood Caries on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Preschool Children and Their Parents

Paulo Floriani Kramer, Carlos Alberto Feldens, Simone Helena Ferreira, Juliane Bervian, Priscila Humbert Rodrigues and Marco Aurelio Peres

Exploring the impact of oral diseases and disorders on quality of life of preschool children.

Dental caries, traumatic dental injury (TDI) and malocclusion are common oral health conditions among preschool children and can have both physical and psychosocial consequences. Thus, it is important to measure the impact these on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of oral health conditions on the OHRQoL of preschool children and their families. A preschool-based, cross-sectional study was carried out with 843 preschool children in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil. Parents/caregivers answered the Brazilian Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale and a questionnaire addressing socio-demographic data as well as the parent’s/caregiver’s perceptions regarding their child’s health. Clinical exams were performed by three researchers who had undergone a calibration process for the diagnosis of dental caries, TDI and malocclusion (K = 0.83-0.85). Hierarchical Poisson regression was employed to determine the strength of associations between oral health conditions and OHRQoL (α = 5%). The multivariate model was run on three levels obeying a hierarchical approach from distal to proximal determinants: 1) socio-demographic data; 2) perceptions of health; and 3) oral health conditions. The prevalence of impact from oral health conditions on OHRQoL was 32.1% among the children and 26.2% among the families. The following variables were significantly associated with a impact on OHRQoL among the children: birth order of child (PR = 1.430; 95% CI: 1.045-1.958), parent’s/caregiver’s perception of child’s oral health as poor (PR = 1.732; 95% CI: 1.399-2.145), cavitated lesions (PR = 2.596; 95% CI: 1.982-3.400) and TDI (PR = 1.413; 95% CI: 1.161-1.718). The following variables were significantly associated with a impact on OHRQoL among the families: parent’s/caregiver’s perception of child’s oral health as poor (PR = 2.116; 95% CI: 1.624-2.757), cavitated lesions (PR = 2.809; 95% CI: 2.009-3.926) and type of TDI (PR = 2.448; 95% CI: 1.288-4.653). Cavitated lesions and TDI exerted a impact on OHRQoL of the preschool children and their families. Parents’/caregivers’ perception of their child’s oral health as poor and the birth order of the child were predictors of a greater impact on OHRQoL.

/pdf/impact-of-oral-health-conditions-on-the-quality-of-life-of-3ula5f9r0k.pdf

Impact of oral health conditions on the quality of life of preschool children and their families: a cross-sectional study

The presence of traumatic dental injuries and malocclusions can have a negative impact on quality of life of young children and their parents, affecting their oral health and well-being. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of traumatic dental injuries and anterior malocclusion traits on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of children between 2 and 5 years-old. Parents of 260 children answered the six domains of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) on their perception of the OHRQoL (outcome). Two calibrated dentists assessed the types of traumatic dental injuries (Kappa = 0.9) and the presence of anterior malocclusion traits (Kappa = 1.0). OHRQoL was measured using the ECOHIS. Poisson regression was used to associate the type of traumatic dental injury and the presence of anterior malocclusion traits to the outcome. The presence of anterior malocclusion traits did not show a negative impact on the overall OHRQoL mean or in each domain. Only complicated traumatic dental injuries showed a negative impact on the symptoms (p = 0.005), psychological (p = 0.029), self image/social interaction (p = 0.004) and family function (p = 0.018) domains and on the overall OHRQoL mean score (p = 0.002). The presence of complicated traumatic dental injuries showed an increased negative impact on the children's quality of life (RR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.36, 2.63; p < 0.001). Complicated traumatic dental injuries have a negative impact on the OHRQoL of preschool children and their parents, but anterior malocclusion traits do not.

/pdf/impact-of-traumatic-dental-injuries-and-malocclusions-on-1cwqzp4xf2.pdf

Impact of traumatic dental injuries and malocclusions on quality of life of young children

Background: Oral disorders can have a negative impact on the functional, social and psychological wellbeing of young children and their families and cause pain/discomfort for the child. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has emerged as an important health outcome in clinical trials and healthcare research. The Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) is a proxy measure of children’s OHRQoL designed to assess the negative impact of oral disorders on the quality of life of preschool children. The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the ECOHIS (B-ECOHIS). Methods: This investigation was carried out in preliminary and field studies. The preliminary study comprised a cross-sectional study carried out in the city of Petropolis, Brazil. A sample of 150 children from two to five years of age was recruited at a public hospital. In the field study, an epidemiological survey was carried out in public and private preschools of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The B-ECOHIS was answered by 1643 parents/caregivers of five-year-old male and female preschool children. In both phases, oral examinations were performed by a single previously calibrated dentist. Reliability was determined through test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Validity was determined through convergent and discriminant validities. The correlation between the scores obtained on the child and family impact sections was assessed. Results: In the preliminary (P) and field (F) study, test-retest reliability correlation values were 0.98 and 0.99 for the child impact section and 0.97 and 0.99 for the family impact section, respectively. The B-ECOHIS demonstrated internal consistency: child impact section (P: a = 0.74; F: a = 0.80) and family impact section (P: a = 0.59; F: a = 0.76). The correlation between the scores obtained on the child and family impact sections was statistically significant (P: rs = 0.54; F: rs = 0.62; p ≤ 0.001). In both phases of the study, B-ECOHIS scores were significantly associated with the decayed, missing and filled teeth index, decayed teeth and discolored upper anterior teeth (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The B-ECOHIS proved reliable and valid for assessing the negative impact of oral disorders on the quality of life of preschool children.

/pdf/psychometric-properties-of-the-brazilian-version-of-the-1zjfxczn3n.pdf

Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS)

The North American instrument Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) was created to assess the oral health-related quality of life of preschool children and their families. Its use in Brazil requires prior cultural adaptation, and semantic equivalence is one step in this process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the semantic equivalence between the ECOHIS and its Brazilian version. The methodology included six steps: translation of the ECOHIS into Portuguese, done by two translators; a pre-test, in which the two translations were tested in a group of 20 parents/guardians of children 2-5 years of age; unification of the two versions; two back-translations done independently by two translators; review of the translations and back-translations; and production of a final version of the questionnaire. The two translated versions were very similar, and after completion of all steps a final version of the ECOHIS was obtained. The use of translations and back-translations carefully evaluated by experts and incorporating suggestions from the target population allowed the development of a Brazilian version of the ECOHIS that is semantically equivalent to the original instrument.

/pdf/semantic-equivalence-of-the-brazilian-version-of-the-early-384y5s2o4m.pdf

Semantic equivalence of the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale

Children are subject to oral health problems that can impact their own quality of life and that of their families The need for measurements to assess the impact of oral health on children's quality of life has been emphasized, and questionnaires have been developed or adapted to this specific group The aim of this study was to describe such instruments (identified in the literature) and discuss their inherent difficulties Among such instruments, we highlight the Child Oral Health Quality of Life Questionnaire, for children aged 6-7, 8-10, and 11-14, the Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances, for children aged 11-12, and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale for children aged 2-5 Although progress was observed in this area, more research is needed to develop measurements that apply to children in their dynamic health/disease process, encompassing their psychosocial, family, and social context The use of such instruments should be encouraged in clinical practice and research

https://www.nescon.medicina.ufmg.br/biblioteca/imagem/0097.pdf

[Measuring the impact of oral health problems on children's quality of life: conceptual and methodological issues].

Children are subject to oral health problems that can impact their own quality of life and that of their families. The need for measurements to assess the impact of oral health on children’s quality of life has been emphasized, and questionnaires have been developed or adapted to this specific group. The aim of this study was to describe such instruments (identified in the literature) and discuss their inherent difficulties. Among such instruments, we highlight the Child Oral Health Quality of Life Questionnaire, for children aged 6-7, 8-10, and 11-14, the Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances, for children aged 11-12, and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale for children aged 2-5. Although progress was observed in this area, more research is needed to develop measurements that apply to children in their dynamic health/disease process, encompassing their psychosocial, family, and social context. The use of such instruments should be encouraged in clinical practice and research.

/pdf/mensuracao-do-impacto-dos-problemas-bucais-sobre-a-qualidade-2vhliyjfvt.pdf

Mensuração do impacto dos problemas bucais sobre a qualidade de vida de crianças: aspectos conceituais e metodológicos Measuring the impact of oral health problems on children's quality of life: conceptual and methodological issues

Flávia Cariús Tesch

Papers

Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS)

Semantic equivalence of the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale

[Measuring the impact of oral health problems on children's quality of life: conceptual and methodological issues].

Mensuração do impacto dos problemas bucais sobre a qualidade de vida de crianças: aspectos conceituais e metodológicos Measuring the impact of oral health problems on children's quality of life: conceptual and methodological issues