Oral Health Related Quality of Life Among Colombian Children

Objective: To describe quality of life factors related to oral health among children 8-10 years old and evaluate existing differences according to gender and type of institution (public vs. private)

Methods: Linguistic validation of the COHQoL questionnaire was conducted through: a) Two forward independent translations into Spanish, b) Backward translation into its original language, c) pilot testing of the translated version, and d) Reconciliation of this translation by pediatric dentists. The 29-item questionnaire was self-administered in a sample of 168 children 8-10 years old from private and public schools in Bogotá. Informed consent was obtained from all caregivers. The information was analyzed using SAS version 9.1. Descriptive analyses including tables of frequencies and means, stratified by gender and type of institution were conducted. Statistical differences between gender and type of institution were explored using Fishers Exact Test (p-value <0.05)

Results: The average age was 9±0.6 years old (females 48.2% and males 51.8%). Around 50% of the subjects perceived that their teeth were in a more or less to a bad condition, and 42% reported feeling dental pain (1-2 times to many times) during the last month. Nearly 40% reported feeling sad or shy due to their teeth, and 43% reported being worried about what others think about their teeth during the last month. 52% of females experienced dental pain during the last month compared to males (33%), and missed school days due to this cause (females 14% and males 5%) (p-value 0.008). Finally, those in public schools tended to miss more frequently (14%) schooldays due to dental problems compared to subjects on private schools (6%).

Conclusion: Information from an oral health quality of life questionnaire may be useful for assessing population's oral health considering the psychosocial impact of oral conditions on the general wellbeing