Oral health related quality of life of Greek adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

To investigate the impact of oral health status on the quality of life of a cross-section of adolescents belonging to different population groups in different regions of Greece, using the oral health impact profile-short form (OHIP-14), one of the most widely known instruments used for the measurement of disability and discomfort due to oral conditions. A random sample consisting of a total of 515 Greek adolescents between the ages of 15-18 years (mean 16.1±0.9) were selected from different urban and rural areas according to the last census. A self-administrated questionnaire was designed including the OHIP-14 validated for the Greek language, and face to- face interviews were conducted by one dentist trained in oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) terms. Associations of the total OHIP-14 score and its seven subscales along with the self-perceived quality of life were evaluated with Spearman correlations. Internal reliability returned a very good internal consistency with a Cronbach alpha of 0.86. The subjects had an overall weighted OHIP-14 score of 1.24 (SD 2.04) meaning that there was an impact of oral health on the overall quality of life. Five of the seven subscales of the OHIP-14 tool were found to have significant correlations for the inhabitants of the different areas. Specifically, important and significant correlations were discovered for functional limitation (p<0.01), handicap (p<0.05) and social disability (p<0.01) both for the metropolitan/non-metropolitan as well as the urban rural distinction. No correlations were found between the OHIP-14 scores, or of any of its sub-scales, with the parental education level and occupation. When self-assessed oral and general health statuses were considered to be 'bad' the OHIP-14 returned increased scores. Dental and oral health conditions are factors that do impact on the quality of life of adolescents.