Impact of oral health problems on daily activities and quality of life of adolescents in Brazil.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the impact of oral health conditions on quality of life and daily activities among adolescents according to the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) and its domains.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data from the Brazilian National Oral Health Survey (SB Brasil 2023) and included 8,054 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years from all regions of the country. The outcome was oral health-related quality of life assessed using the OIDP instrument. Associations between OIDP and its domains with the presence of untreated caries, tooth loss, odontalgia, need for prostheses, gingival bleeding, and dental calculus were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed considering the complex sample design, using the Rao-Scott adjusted F-test and multiple logistic regression considering a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results: A negative impact of oral health on quality of life was observed in 37.2% of adolescents, with a higher frequency among those with lower family income and education level. All oral health problems analyzed showed a significant association with an OIDP≥1. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, dental pain in the last 6 months was the condition most strongly associated with a negative impact on quality of life (OR=9.06; 95%CI 6.32-13.0), followed by the need for a prosthesis (OR=3.86; 95%CI 2.31-6.43), untreated dental caries (OR=2.39; 95%CI 1.87-3.05), tooth loss (OR=1.56; 95%CI 1.07-2.26), gum bleeding (OR=1.62; 95%CI 1.14-2.29), and dental calculus (OR=1.33; 95%CI 1.03-1.71).

Conclusion: Oral health problems represent a limiting factor in the quality of life and daily activities of Brazilian adolescents.