ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG THE PARENTS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Abstract

Aim of the study was to assess the prevalence, frequency and severity of oral impacts on health-related quality of life among the parents of pre-school children in Klaipeda city, located on the Baltic Sea coast. Klaipeda is an untypical city, because it is a member of Healthy City Network, actively implementing different health promoting activities.

Methods: Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) self-administered questionnaire was used. The individual OIDP score was obtained when the sum of the eleven scores was divided by the possible maximum performance scores. Percent of persons affected, mean frequency, severity, individual OIDP scores and standard deviation were calculated. The study was approved by the local Bioethics Commission in Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences. Only Lithuanian language speaking kindergartens were included, because the questionnaire was validated in Lithuanian language. So there were 35 in total Lithuanian speaking kindergartens, but only 23 of the participated, that was 65.7%. 12 kindergartens refused to participate in the survey. In total there were 42 kindergartens in Klaipeda. It was convenience sample, consisting of the 375 parents of pre-school children. Only one of the parents of each child participated in the survey. The parents have signed an agreement with the kindergartens, that they are giving a consent for their children to participate in the surveys.

Results: 327 (87.4%) of mothers and 330 (88.0%) of fathers were 25-44 years old. The highest prevalence of oral impacts was in the item Eating and enjoying food n=66 (17.6%), the lowest one in Performing light physical activity n=11 (2.9%). The greatest means of frequency of those affected were in Speaking and pronouncing clearly (3.0; SD 1.37) and Smiling and laughing (3.0; SD 1.44) items. The most severe effect was observed in Enjoying contact with people (3.08; SD 1.38).

Conclusions: The most prevalent (17.6%) reported impact was on Eating and enjoying food, nevertheless the impact was significant in physical, emotional and social dimensions.