Quality of Life Related to Oral Health in Subjects 14 Years or Older, San Juan Bautista Community, Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile

Josefina Aubert; Sergio Sanchéz; René Castro; María José Monsalves; Paulina Castillo & Patricia Moya

Summary

Geographic isolation and environmental conditions make the population of Robinson Crusoe Island, in the Juan Fernández archipielago highly vulnerable. It is therefore relevant to know the quality of life related to oral health (QOLRTO). In this report a cross sectional study in 137 inhabitants over 14 years of age was carried out. OHIP-14 was applied to measure QOLRTO, after informed consent was obtained. Statistical analysis was made in STATA 12.0. The population is 51.8% female, mean age 42.26 (SD 16.5) being similar in both sexes. Of the subjects studied, 91.97% perceived that oral health affects their quality of life, being slightly higher in women. Psychological distress was a manifestation in 80.29% of subjects, while 75.91% perceived discomfort and mouth pain, and 62.77% reported psychological disability issues. There is a greater impact of oral health issues with increasing age. For each year of life, the value of the OHIP-14 increased 0.07 (CI 95%, 0.04 to 0.1). The results suggest that public health policies that include a comprehensive oral health perspective, with emphasis on highly vulnerable populations should be considered.

KEY WORDS: oral health, quality of life, Oral Health Impact Profile.

How to cite this article

AUBERT, J.; SANCHÉZ, S.; CASTRO, R.; MONSALVES, M. J.; CASTILLO, P. & MOYA, P. Quality of Life Related to Oral Health in Subjects 14 Years or Older, San Juan Bautista Community, Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile. Int. J. Odontostomat., 8(1):141-145, 2014.