Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the visual perception and self-perception of facial pleasantness in adolescents with and without cleft lip and palate (CLP).
Design
Cross-sectional observational study.
Setting
Center for care and research in craniofacial anomalies.
Participants
Adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years, with (n = 79) and without (n = 158) CLP.
Main Outcome Measure
Visual perception and self-perception of facial pleasantness were measured using images of adolescents’ faces with and without CLP and self-assessment questions.
Results
Participants with CLP rated images of adolescents as having higher facial pleasantness compared to those without CLP (P < .001, Cohen's d = 0.63). Overall, both groups reported similar satisfaction with their facial appearance with no to low frequency of concerns. Non-CLP rated their own facial appearance (P < 0.001). The CLP group reported higher levels of discomfort regarding facial appearance as having lower pleasantness (P < .001, Cohen's d = 0.08), and worried more frequently about their appearance (P < .001, Cohen's d = 0.56). CLP group reported higher (P < .001) frequency of facial appearance concerns, impact on daily life, interference in interpersonal relationships, and dissatisfaction with facial appearance with small to medium effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.14 to 0.57). Across both groups, female participants exhibited higher concerns about facial appearance compared to males (P < .001) with modest effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.16 to 0.47).
Conclusion
Participants with CLP rated others’ facial appearance as more pleasant than those without CLP. While adolescents with/without CLP both reported few concerns about their facial appearance, participants with CLP and females had higher concerns. Psychosocial support may be beneficial for adolescents with/without CLP.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
