Abstract
BackgroundAlthough initial periodontal therapy can ease some physical and psychological discomforts from periodontitis and improve patients’ oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), it is also vital to find positive resources from psychological and social aspects to promote the overall OHRQoL. This study aims to explore the associations of perceived social support (PSS) and general self-efficacy with OHRQoL and the mediating role of general self-efficacy in PSS-OHRQoL association after initial periodontal therapy.MethodsA prospective case series study was conducted among consecutive outpatients with chronic periodontitis during the period of July 2014–April 2015. A total of 145 eligible patients responded to OHRQoL questionnaire and periodontal examination at baseline. About 4 to 5 weeks after initial periodontal therapy, 120 patients completed the second OHRQoL measurement and periodontal examination, along with PSS and general self-efficacy measurement. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to determine the difference between baseline and post-treatment OHRQoL scores and periodontal parameters. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to explore the associations of PSS and general self-efficacy with post-treatment OHRQoL after adjusting for some demographic and periodontal variables. Asymptotic and resampling strategies were performed to explore the mediating role of general self-efficacy.ResultsInitial periodontal therapy resulted in a significant improvement in the mean total score and all domains of OHRQoL and all periodontal parameters measured. In hierarchical linear regression analysis, clinical attachment loss (CAL) was significantly and positively associated with post-treatment OHRQoL score (β = 0.265, p < 0.01), while PSS (β = −0.303, p < 0.01) and general self-efficacy (β = −0.221, p < 0.01) were significantly and negatively associated with post-treatment OHRQL score, respectively. A significant mediating role of general self-efficacy (a*b = −0.139, BCa 95 % CI: −0.298, −0.011) in the association between PSS and post-treatment OHRQoL was revealed, and the proportion of the mediating role of general self-efficacy was 31.4 %.ConclusionsInitial periodontal therapy could significantly improve all aspects of OHRQoL. PSS and general self-efficacy could be the positive resources for improving OHRQoL after initial periodontal therapy among patients with periodontitis. General self-efficacy partly mediated the association between PSS and post-treatment OHRQoL.
Highlights
Initial periodontal therapy can ease some physical and psychological discomforts from periodontitis and improve patients’ oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), it is vital to find positive resources from psychological and social aspects to promote the overall OHRQoL
Periodontal therapy has a positive role on the OHRQoL of patients [14], it is vital to find some positive resources from social and psychological aspects to promote the overall OHRQoL of patients after initial periodontal therapy
The participants were in the age range of 19–74 years (Mean ± standard deviation (SD): 43.82 ± 12.72)
Summary
Initial periodontal therapy can ease some physical and psychological discomforts from periodontitis and improve patients’ oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), it is vital to find positive resources from psychological and social aspects to promote the overall OHRQoL. Periodontitis may cause oral discomforts, tooth worse or loss, but can affect systemic health by increasing the patients’ risk for some serious health problems [2, 3]. OHRQoL is a comprehensive outcome of the perception about physiological, psychological and social impacts of oral health problems. Periodontal therapy has a positive role on the OHRQoL of patients [14], it is vital to find some positive resources from social and psychological aspects to promote the overall OHRQoL of patients after initial periodontal therapy
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