ORAL HEALTH QUALITY OF LIFE IN A NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Oral health related quality of life is utilized in health services research to examine trends in oral health and population-based needs assessment. OBJECTIVE: To assess both the generic and orthodontic specific aspects of the Oral health-related quality of life of a University undergraduate population. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out among 420 undergraduate students, aged 18-30years old, attending the University of Lagos, Nigeria. The data collection was carried out through oral interviews and self-administered questionnaires. Two Oral health related quality of life instruments were used (1) A generic scale the Shortened version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and (2) A condition specific scale the Psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire (PIDAQ). Data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). RESULTS: With respect to the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) scale, the overall mean score recorded by the students was 10.43+7.85. The physical pain subscale recorded the highest impact with 93.3%, while the least impact was recorded in the handicap subscale, with 29.9%. The Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) scales revealed significant gender differences, with the subscales of 'social impact', 'psychological impact' and 'aesthetic concern' recording low mean subscale values. CONCLUSION: . The mean Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) score of the students (10.43 + 7.85) in this study reflects that the oral health status of most of the students did not significantly affect their Oral health-related quality of life. However, the physical pain domain was the most severely affected aspect of their Oral health-related quality of life. The Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics (PIDAQ) scale scores recorded significant gender differences.