Caregiver Reported Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Young American Indian Children

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health 2014-10, Vol.16 (5), p.951-958
• Main Authors: Braun, Patricia A., Lind, Kimberly E., Batliner, Terry, Brega, Angela G., Henderson, William G., Nadeau, Kristen, Wilson, Anne, Albino, Judith
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Adult; Age; Alaska; Albinism; Associations; Caregivers; Caregivers - statistics & numerical data; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; College campuses; Colleges & universities; Community; Comparative Law; Data collection; Dental care; Dental Care for Children - utilization; Dental caries; Dental Health; Dental insurance; Dental service; Dentistry; Dentists; Disease prevention; Female; Health disparities; Health services; Health surveys; Humans; Indians; Indians, North American - statistics & numerical data; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Insurance, Dental - statistics & numerical data; International & Foreign Law; Longitudinal Studies; Low income groups; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority & ethnic groups; Native North Americans; Noncitizens; Oral diseases; Oral Health - ethnology; Oral Health - statistics & numerical data; Oral hygiene; ORIGINAL PAPER; Pediatrics; Polls & surveys; Preschool Children; Private International Law; Public Health; Quality of Life; Review boards; Sociology; Statistical analysis; Teenagers; Young Children
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9870-0

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children experience high rates of dental decay, yet their pediatric oral health-related quality of life (POQL) has not been described. We measured POQL in AI children and compared it in children with reported excellent/very good/good versus fair/poor oral health status (OHS) and assessed association of OHS, child’s age, dental service utilization, and dental insurance on POQL scores. Caregivers of 143 AI (100 %), young (mean age 25.1 months) children reported their POQL score as 4.2 (scale 0–100, lower score indicates better POQL); OHS as excellent (35 %), very good (27 %), good (21 %), fair (14 %), and poor (3 %); and utilization of urgent dental services (12 %). Worse POQL was associated with worse OHS (p = 0.01). After adjustment, worse POQL was associated with increased reported use of urgent dental services (p = 0.004). POQL of young AI children was generally favorable but worsened with increased utilization of urgent dental services.