Family Affluence Based Inequality in Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in a Population of Lithuanian Adolescents

Abstract

Background: The social inequalities in oral health have had increasing attention in recent years. The present study aimed to explore the impact of family affluence on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among Lithuanian adolescents aged 11–18 years. Methods: The cross-sectional, population-based study included a representative sample of 881 adolescents aged 11–18 years (mean = 15.55; SD = 1.51) randomly selected from 20 schools in Lithuania. The schoolchildren completed questionnaires to evaluate their OHRQoL using a Lithuanian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ). The adolescents’ family affluence was indirectly assessed by inquiring whether they possessed various modern life items. In dental examination, the severity of malocclusion was predetermined by the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need (ICON). The relationship among variables was examined employing the negative binomial regression and the path analysis. Results: The sum score of CPQ as a whole and the sum scores of all four domains were significantly associated with family affluence, indicating higher OHRQoL among adolescents from more affluent families. The severity of malocclusion had a significant association with emotional and social well-being domains of OHRQoL only. Conclusion: This study evidences the family affluence based inequality in OHRQoL among Lithuanian adolescents.

Relationships of Dental Caries and Malocclusion with Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Lithuanian Adolescents Aged 15 to 18 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the analyses, the data were adjusted for the adolescents' gender, age group (15-16 and 17-18 years), and family affluence, which seemed to be a significant predictor of OHRQoL in the Lithuanian adolescent population [59]. To evaluate family affluence, the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) was applied [60].…”

Impact of dental caries on daily performance of children

“…In confirmation of the above, several studies have established a directly proportional link between the prevalence of dental pain and indications of carious experience in children with untreated carious lesions studii au stabilit o legătură direct proporţională între prevalenţa durerilor dentare și indicii de experienţă carioasă la copiii cu leziuni carioase netratate [19,20]. Studiile realizate de mai mulţi autori au elucidat existenţa unor corelaţii între calitatea scăzută a vieţii și un statusul oro-dentar deficitar, asociat cel mai frecvent cu un acces redus la serviciile stomatologice [2,11,19,20,22]. Rezultate similare au fost obţinute de mai mulţi autori care au evaluat impactul afecţiunilor dentare asupra activităţilor zilnice ale copiilor în ţările în curs de dezvoltare și cu economie de tranziţie [3,[11][12][13][14]17].…”

Investigating Nutritional Behavior and Oral Health Habits among Adults and Children in Nοrth-Eastern Greece

“…The human body constitutes a composite network which is characterized by permanent interconnection and provides interesting aspects in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases [1,2]. Recent scientific data reported the importance of oral health for overall health [3,4]. New breakthroughs in technological approaches encompassing genome sequencing methodologies shed more light on the identification of the human microbiotas and their role [4,5].…”

“…Recent scientific data reported the importance of oral health for overall health [3,4]. New breakthroughs in technological approaches encompassing genome sequencing methodologies shed more light on the identification of the human microbiotas and their role [4,5].…”

“…The most common oral diseases are caries and periodontal diseases [9,10], complex diseases of infectious nature, which are caused by the imbalance between the host and the host microorganisms of the biofilm in the oral cavity [11]. Caries and periodontal disease are multifactorial [4,12]. Both diseases present common risk factors, however with different pathophysiology.…”