Determinants of oral health-related quality of life and its affecting factors in preschool children: Cross-sectional study

Background: Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is the main aspect of children's oral health. In this study, it was intended to explore OHRQoL and its pertinent factors in pre-school children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was directed on 352 mothers with children (aged 3-5 years) based on stratified random sampling in health centers in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire completed by the caregiver, which includes socio-demographic data, OHRQoL (13 items), caregiver-reported children's oral health status, and tooth brushing. The one-way ANOVA, independent samples t test, and linear regression were applied to define the predicators of OHRQoL using SPSS 16 at 95% significance level. Results: Mothers' mean age was 31.5 (SD = 4.9). It was 4.1 (SD = 0.82) for children. According to the results, the majority of the mothers (88%) were homemakers and 25% had higher education. The mean (SD) of OHRQoL was 18.8 (7.9) out of 65. The items most related to OHRQoL were feeling guilty (25%), dental pain (35%), and difficulty eating (14.8%). According to the results of multiple regression, OHRQoL had significant relationship with economic status (P = 0.046), caregiver-reported children's oral health status (P = 0.0001), children's frequency of tooth-brushing (P = 0.001), and their age (P = 0.0001). In total, these factors described 0.22% of the variance in children's OHRQoL. OHRQoL did not have a statistically significant relationship with mothers' education level or children's gender. Conclusion: According to the findings, the key predictor of OHRQoL was children's oral health status, tooth brushing, and age. Effective educational interventions could be designed based on these predictors to improve the OHRQoL of children.