Abstract
Religiosity has been associated with a better dental condition and positive self-perception of health, but there are no studies on the relationship between religious practice and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), especially among schoolchildren. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between family religiosity and OHRQoL in 12-year-old schoolchildren. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 12-year-old schoolchildren from Santa Maria, a city in southern Brazil. A total of 1,134 schoolchildren were assessed in a randomly selected in 20 public schools in the city. Participants were examined by 4 calibrated dentists (minimum Kappa-value for intra and inter-examiner agreement were 0.79 and 0.77, respectively) according to dental caries (Decayed, Missed, Filled Teeth Index), and gingival bleeding (Community Periodontal Index criteria). OHRQoL was assessed by the Brazilian short version of Child Perceptions for Questionnaire (CPQ11-14). Parents or guardians answered a structured questionnaire regarding their socioeconomic status and religious practice. Data were analyzed using multilevel Poisson regression analysis to assess the association of religiosity and overall and domain-specific CPQ 11-14 scores. Religious practice less than once a week was associated with higher mean symptoms domain scores and higher mean CPQ 11-14 overall scores in schoolchildren. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that family religiosity was positively associated with schoolchildren's OHRQoL.
Highlights
Self-perception of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and normative measures are essential for planning of public health policies with prioritization of services, as well as for evaluation of the effect of oral health strategies
In relation to the family religiosity characteristics, the majority of the families gone to the church frequently (86.7%) and had high religious practice (74.5%)
This study assessed the association between family religiosity and OHRQoL in Brazilian schoolchildren
Summary
Self-perception of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and normative measures are essential for planning of public health policies with prioritization of services, as well as for evaluation of the effect of oral health strategies. Environmental and individual factors, such as socioeconomic status, social capital, dental behaviors and clinical status, influence subjective oral health outcomes [2]. This perspective suggest that clinical factors alone cannot explain the effect of oral health on everyday life. The social interactions within the structure of social allow the discussion about community issues and help participants to act together on objectives and mutual benefits [5] In this context, participation in religious groups can be a specific measure of social capital where there is reciprocal exchange of social support among members
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