Oral health related quality of life differences in a young sample

Authors: Alexandru Graţian Grecu¹, Robert Balazsi², Raluca Cristina Dumitru¹, Anca Ștefania Mesaros¹, Bogdan Culic^1*, Dan Lucian Dumitrașcu³

 Affiliation:    

¹Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Dental Materials, Faculty of Dental Medicine, „Iuliu Haţieganu“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

²Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, „Babeș-Bolyai“ University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

³2nd Medical Department, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract

Background. Oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) represents a complex concept, which brings important insight in the patients’ dental and oral self-perception. This field of research also targets young adult populations.

Aims. The aim of the current study was to assess the OHRQoL self-perception differences in three study programs student samples: two dental medicine student samples and an economics student sample.

Methods. After providing informed consent from the subjects, the OHIP-49 questionnaire was applied on three samples: a sample belonging to the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Romanian section, Cluj-Napoca (n = 63), a sample belonging to the English section of the same Faculty n = 63) and a sample of students enrolled in the Faculty of Economics, Cluj-Napoca n = 63). The dental Romanian and economics student samples completed the Romanian version of OHIP-49, while the dental English program students completed the English version of the same instrument. Mea subscale scores were calculated followed by the inferential statistical procedures: one-way and two-way analysis of variance and the t-test. The independent variables were gender and study program.

Results. For the complete sample, the subscales presenting the highest scores were functional limitation (8.05), physical pain (10.03) and psychological discomfort (6.05). Statistically significant differences in OHRQoL self-perception, using one-way ANOVA, were obtained between: economics students and English section dental students (p = 0.03) for the functional limitation subscale; economics and Romanian section dental students (p = 0.039) for the same subscale; economics students and English section dental students (p = 0.029) for the handicap subscale. In respect to the complete sample, the t-test revealed statistically significant differences between male and female subjects for the scores of the following subscales: functional limitation t(187 )= -2.359, p= 0.019, physical pain t(187) =  -2.172, p = 0.031, and psychological disability t(187) = -2.556, p = 0.11.

Conclusions. The self perception of OHRQoL statistically significantly varies in accordance to gender and study program. The involved students tend to focus more on physical impacts of oral conditions.

Key words: oral health related quality of life, OHIP-49, analysis of variance, young population

https://doi.org/10.26659/pm3.2018.19.4.224

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