Oral Health Behavior and Its Relationship with Quality of Life among 12 Year-old Children of Rafsanjan in 2017-18

Background: Oral Health related Quality of Life (OHQoL) as a multi-dimensional concept indicates person’s satisfaction with his/her oral health in terms of various dimensions. This study was carried out to examine impact of oral health on the quality of life of 12 year-old children in Rafsanjan and its relationship with their oral health behaviors. Methods:This descriptive-longitudinal study was conducted on 571 sixth grade elementary students from 8 selected schools of Rafsanjan/ Iran in 2017-18. A three-part questionnaire including demographic characteristics, oral health behaviors and 35 items taken from the standard 35-item OHQoL questionnaire was employed as data collecting tools. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 Software, one-way ANOVA, independent t- test, and Chi-square at significance level of 0.05. Results:The mean score of OHQoL index was 30.43±18.1 and there was a significant relationship between the OHQoL index and tooth brushing behavior (P=0.03), tooth brushing duration (P<0.001), using toothpaste (P<0.001), daily and regular snacks consumption (P=0.01), and regular dentist visit (P=0.04); however, this relationship was not significant in terms of dental floss use and frequency of tooth brushing (P>0.05). The highest impact of oral health on children's quality of life was in terms of oral symptoms, functional impairment and emotional health dimensions, respectively. Conclusion:Despite the optimum mean score associated to oral health-related quality of life, students’ health had been affected in terms of oral symptoms, functional impairment and emotional health and this variable was itself affected by oral health behaviors such as tooth brushing and regular dentist visiting to receive services. Accordingly, planning, implementing and evaluating interventions for other stakeholders, such as families and school authorities, are recommended.