Caries Experience and Quality of Life in Children From Cartagena-Colombia

Objectives: Dental caries is an oral disorder and affects all dimensions of the individual, including their quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine the association between oral health-related quality of life among children (COHQoL) and caries experience.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 227 children (8-10 years old) and 91 parents/caregivers (P/C) from Cartagena-Colombia. Caries experience was evaluated by DMF-T index and through the COHQoL questionnaire we estimated the children´s and P/C perceptions of oral health, limitations of daily activities (LDA), emotional wellbeing (EBW) and social wellbeing (SWB) about quality-of-life related to oral health. For statistical analyses Chi-square-test, Fisher-test and logistic-regression models (OR; 95%CI) were used (SPSS).
Results: n=227; mean age: 8.9±0.78 years; 54.1% girls. Prevalence of caries experience was 67.8%; mean DMF-T: 2.63±2.9 (boys: 2.69±2.8; girls: 2.59±3.0; p=0.725). According to children´s perception, oral health impacts on quality of life in 84.1% (n=191); EBW in 48.9% (n=111), LDA in 18.5% (n=42) and SWB in 35.7% (n=81). These results were somewhat similar to parents/caregivers’ perception: oral health: 86.8% (n=79); EBW: 41.8% (n=38); LDA: 53.8% (n=49), and SWB: 67% (n=61). Caries experience was associated with children' perceptions of the impact of EBW on quality of life (P=0.041). A logistic-regression model adjusted for sex and age estimated that caries-experience probability can be impacted by quality of life; caries experience affects 1.89 times more EBW (OR:1.89; 95%CI:1.06-3.36; p=0.029), unlike those exhibiting a DMFT=0.
Conclusions: Both parents and children perceive that dental caries affects the children’ quality of life; mainly, caries experience affects the emotional-well-being.