Oral health-related quality of life in well-controlled diabetic patients of Modinagar city: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, which is characterized by elevated levels of glucose in the blood. According to the International Diabetes Federation, around 366 million people are currently estimated to have diabetes. Aim: The aim of the study was to find out the association of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with diabetes among controlled diabetic patients of Modinagar city. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study with a sample of 163 respondents was conducted in a private hospital in Modinagar city, to assess the OHRQoL in a well-controlled diabetic patient. OHRQoL was estimated by the oral health impact profile-20 questionnaire. In addition, general health questionnaire (GHQ) – a 12-item questionnaire was included in this study to distinguish the impact of diabetes on general health of the patient. The analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Logistic regression was used to determine the association between OHRQoL and diabetes. Correlation between OHQoRL and GHQ was analyzed using Spearman's rho. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study results showed that 93 patients (57.4%) had good and 69 patients (42.5%) had low OHRQoL. The study also found out a statistically significant association of OHRQoL with diabetes in case of age of the participants (2.375 [1.094–2.528], P = 0.029**), educational level (0.511 [0.268–0.974], P = 0.041**), and frequency of toothbrushing (0.446 [0.208–0.957], P = 0.038**), whereas its association with smoking status (0.527 [0.235–1.182]), duration of disease (0.757 [0.343–1.671]), and mouth dryness (0.692 [0.316–1.513]) was statistically nonsignificant. There was a highly significant correlation between the OHRQoL and general health of the participants (Spearman's rho [r (162) =0.996], whereP < 0.05). Conclusion: There is a good correlation between OHRQoL and general health among controlled diabetic patients. The association between diabetes and OHRQoL is confined only to some of the variables. The study findings emphasize the importance of oral health in maintaining the overall health of diabetic patients.