Key factors associated with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in Hong Kong Chinese adults with orofacial pain

• Published in: Journal of dentistry Vol. 39; no. 8; pp. 564 - 571
• Main Authors: Zheng, Jun, Wong, May C.M, Lam, Cindy L.K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2011; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Burning Mouth Syndrome - psychology; Community-dwelling; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Care - utilization; Dentistry; Depression; Depression - psychology; Diagnoses; Educational Status; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Facial Pain - psychology; Female; Hong Kong; Hospitals; Humans; Income; Independent Living; Male; Marital Status; Masticatory Muscles - physiopathology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Non tumoral diseases; Oral Health; Orofacial pain; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pain; Pain Measurement; Psychological; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Socioeconomic factors; Somatoform Disorders - psychology; Studies; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - psychology; Hong Kong; Asia; China; Psychological; Community-dwelling; Depression; Orofacial pain; Diagnoses; Human; Stomatology; Dental disease; Psychometrics; Quality of life; Bucco-dental health; Risk factor; Adult; Chinese
• ISSN: 0300-5712; 1879-176X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2011.06.002

Abstract Objectives To investigate key factors associated with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) of Hong Kong Chinese adults with orofacial pain (OFP) symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst a random sample of registered patients at a primary medical care teaching clinic in Hong Kong. Patients who were aged 35–70 years and had experienced OFP symptoms in the past 1 month were included. The OHRQOL was assessed by the Chinese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). A structured questionnaire on OFP symptoms and characteristics in the past 1 month, the depression and non-specific physical symptoms (NPS) scale in the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) questionnaire, and questions about professional treatment and dental attendance were administered before a standard clinical assessment. Negative binomial regression with forward stepwise selection was used to investigate key factors associated with the OHIP-14 additive score. Results The mean OHIP-14 additive score of the 200 participants was 10.1 (SD 9.4). Regression analysis revealed that five independent factors were significantly associated with higher OHIP-14 additive scores (indicating a poorer OHRQOL): a higher pain scale rating in the past 1 month ( p = 0.001), OFP clinical classification as musculoligamentous/soft tissue (MST) or dentoalveolar (DA) instead of neurological/vascular (NV) ( p < 0.001), more frequent dental attendance ( p = 0.008), moderate/severe RDC/TMD depression ( p = 0.005) and moderate/severe RDC/TMD NPS with pain ( p = 0.003). Conclusion Various factors were associated with OHRQOL and could have implications for the improvement of OHRQOL in people in the community who have OFP symptoms.