Patient Preference and Adherence (Nov 2022)
Oral Health Behaviors and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among Dental Patients in China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Ran An,1,2 Siyu Li,3 Qianqian Li,4 Yuan Luo,2 Zitong Wu,1,2 Meizi Liu,2 Wenfeng Chen1 1Teaching and Research Section of Clinical Nursing, Xiangya Hospital Central South University; 2Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, People’s Republic of China; 3The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China; 4The First Mobile Corps Hospital of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Baoding, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wenfeng Chen, Teaching and Research Section of Clinical Nursing, Xiangya Hospital Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, 410008, Email [email protected] and Purpose: Oral health plays an important role in overall health. But little is known about the problems with oral health behaviors and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among dental patients in China. This study aimed to investigate oral health behaviors and OHRQoL, as well as to examine the effects of oral health behaviors and associated factors on OHRQoL among dental patients.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2022 to July 2022 in the Department of Stomatology of the First Mobile General Hospital of Armed Police, Hebei, China. The five-item short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-5) was used to evaluate OHRQoL. Oral health behaviors were assessed by a 16-items oral health behavior questionnaire, and socio-demographic data were collected by a socio-demographic questionnaire. The t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to investigate the associations between the study variables.Results: 186 participants were included in the study. The average age of the participants was 24.62 years (SD = 10.67). The mean OHIP-5 score was 4.31 (SD =3.35). Oral health-related quality of life differed significantly by smoking history, history of alcohol consumption, work status, economic pressure, self-rated oral health status, daily brushing frequency, dental caries condition, and whether they take the initiative to learn about oral health. Multivariate analysis found that the self-rated oral health status and work status were significantly associated with the OHIP scores. The retired people and those with poor self-rated oral health displayed poor OHRQoL.Conclusion: In general, dental patients’ oral health needs to be improved, the majority of patients reported practicing poor oral health behaviors, among which the retired population and hose with poor self-rated oral health showed poor OHRQoL. OHRQoL in dental patients is a complex issue associated with social and behavioral factors.Keywords: cross-sectional studies, dental clinics, health behavior, oral health, oral health-related quality of life, OHRQoL
