IADR Abstract Archives
Oral Health-related Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents With and Without Migration Background in Germany
Objectives: To assess and compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children and adolescents with and without immigration background.
Methods: OHRQoL was assessed using the German 19-item version of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP-19). A consecutive sample of 112 children and adolescents came from a university-based orthodontic clinic and a convenience sample of 313 children and adolescents from state schools (total N=425, age range: 7–17 years). Additionally, oral health was determined in a dental examination by means of number of decayed and filled teeth, and prevalence of gingivitis. Three different definitions of migration background were applied: (I) born in a foreign country (n=22), (II) not born in a foreign country, but both parents born in a foreign country (n=74), and (III) one parent born in a foreign country (n=42). The non-migrant group consisted of 283 participants.
Results: Overall, OHRQoL was significantly lower in the migrant group (COHIP-19 score: 58.9-61.6) than in non-migrant group (COHIP-19 score: 63.1) with the worst OHRQoL in the group with both parents born in foreign countries. While groups did not differ in the domain functional well-being, non-migrants had higher COHIP-19 scores in the domain oral health – well-being and in the domain social/emotional, school and self-image. However, between-group differences in OHRQoL were not reflected in oral health indicators, i.e., number of decayed or filled teeth or prevalence of gingivitis. The effect of migration background on OHRQoL did not change substantially after adjusting for age, sex, and oral health indicators (linear regression model, P=0.012).
Conclusions: German children and adolescents with migration background have poorer OHRQoL than similarly old native Germans, even though there are no significant differences concerning their clinically assessed oral health. Further studies are needed to clarify which cultural reasons maybe involved.
Methods: OHRQoL was assessed using the German 19-item version of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP-19). A consecutive sample of 112 children and adolescents came from a university-based orthodontic clinic and a convenience sample of 313 children and adolescents from state schools (total N=425, age range: 7–17 years). Additionally, oral health was determined in a dental examination by means of number of decayed and filled teeth, and prevalence of gingivitis. Three different definitions of migration background were applied: (I) born in a foreign country (n=22), (II) not born in a foreign country, but both parents born in a foreign country (n=74), and (III) one parent born in a foreign country (n=42). The non-migrant group consisted of 283 participants.
Results: Overall, OHRQoL was significantly lower in the migrant group (COHIP-19 score: 58.9-61.6) than in non-migrant group (COHIP-19 score: 63.1) with the worst OHRQoL in the group with both parents born in foreign countries. While groups did not differ in the domain functional well-being, non-migrants had higher COHIP-19 scores in the domain oral health – well-being and in the domain social/emotional, school and self-image. However, between-group differences in OHRQoL were not reflected in oral health indicators, i.e., number of decayed or filled teeth or prevalence of gingivitis. The effect of migration background on OHRQoL did not change substantially after adjusting for age, sex, and oral health indicators (linear regression model, P=0.012).
Conclusions: German children and adolescents with migration background have poorer OHRQoL than similarly old native Germans, even though there are no significant differences concerning their clinically assessed oral health. Further studies are needed to clarify which cultural reasons maybe involved.