Page 119 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 119
Results of our study were consistent with the research on inequalities in factors related to oral health-related quality of life among children and adolescents in slovenia 119
OHRQoL in children, which had shown that children from families with lower
socioeconomic status (which includes parental education) had lower OHRQoL
than children from families with higher socioeconomic status (Kragt et al.,
2016; Kumar et al., 2014; Locker, 2007). The systematic review on the impact
of parental/caregiver socioeconomic status on children’s OHRQoL showed a
direct association between parental/caregiver education level and children’s
quality of life. Children of parents/caregivers with high levels of education were
more likely to have better OHRQoL than children of parents/caregivers with
lower levels of education, and a particularly significant association was found
between maternal education and child OHRQoL (Kumar et al., 2014). Family
socioeconomic status, which may be related to parental educational status, has
a significant impact on children’s oral health through the ability of parents or
caregivers to respond to children’s oral health needs and habits (Chaffe et al.,
2017).
Similarly, differences in OHRQoL also emerged according to the living
environment. The proportion of children/adolescents who often or occasion-
ally experienced limitations in their daily life due to oral and/or dental prob-
lems was higher among children/adolescents from a rural living environment
than among children/adolescents from an urban or suburban living environ-
ment. Differences by living environment for individual limitations were also
confirmed in the detailed analysis, and these were particularly evident for the
occurrence of painful wounds or ulcers in the oral cavity and toothache (Art-
nik et al., 2020).
We decided to limit the analysis to parental responses only, because the
younger age group was not expected to complete the survey themselves, and
because there was some ambiguity in the responses of the adolescents who
completed the survey themselves regarding their or their parents’ education-
al qualifications. This brings some limitations for the interpretation of the da-
ta. Subjective assessment of OHRQoL, especially when reported by parents/
caregivers for their children, should be seen as a complement to, and not a sub-
stitute for, dental needs assessment or clinical oral health assessment (Allen,
2003).
In order to get a precise overview of the prevalence of each limitation and
to determine the proportion of the population with more than one limitation,
we decided to limit the analysis to individuals who answered all six questions.
For individuals who answered only one or a few questions, we could not assess
whether they have other limitations.
Conclusions
Oral health is an integral part of general health and has great influence on
quality of life. Children and adolescents in Slovenia occasionally feel some lim-
OHRQoL in children, which had shown that children from families with lower
socioeconomic status (which includes parental education) had lower OHRQoL
than children from families with higher socioeconomic status (Kragt et al.,
2016; Kumar et al., 2014; Locker, 2007). The systematic review on the impact
of parental/caregiver socioeconomic status on children’s OHRQoL showed a
direct association between parental/caregiver education level and children’s
quality of life. Children of parents/caregivers with high levels of education were
more likely to have better OHRQoL than children of parents/caregivers with
lower levels of education, and a particularly significant association was found
between maternal education and child OHRQoL (Kumar et al., 2014). Family
socioeconomic status, which may be related to parental educational status, has
a significant impact on children’s oral health through the ability of parents or
caregivers to respond to children’s oral health needs and habits (Chaffe et al.,
2017).
Similarly, differences in OHRQoL also emerged according to the living
environment. The proportion of children/adolescents who often or occasion-
ally experienced limitations in their daily life due to oral and/or dental prob-
lems was higher among children/adolescents from a rural living environment
than among children/adolescents from an urban or suburban living environ-
ment. Differences by living environment for individual limitations were also
confirmed in the detailed analysis, and these were particularly evident for the
occurrence of painful wounds or ulcers in the oral cavity and toothache (Art-
nik et al., 2020).
We decided to limit the analysis to parental responses only, because the
younger age group was not expected to complete the survey themselves, and
because there was some ambiguity in the responses of the adolescents who
completed the survey themselves regarding their or their parents’ education-
al qualifications. This brings some limitations for the interpretation of the da-
ta. Subjective assessment of OHRQoL, especially when reported by parents/
caregivers for their children, should be seen as a complement to, and not a sub-
stitute for, dental needs assessment or clinical oral health assessment (Allen,
2003).
In order to get a precise overview of the prevalence of each limitation and
to determine the proportion of the population with more than one limitation,
we decided to limit the analysis to individuals who answered all six questions.
For individuals who answered only one or a few questions, we could not assess
whether they have other limitations.
Conclusions
Oral health is an integral part of general health and has great influence on
quality of life. Children and adolescents in Slovenia occasionally feel some lim-
