Association between oral diseases and impact on daily performance among male Saudi schoolchildren

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about exploring the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of school children in Saudi Arabia. The importance of examining this topic has centred on its ability to measure associations between the oral symptoms, impacts and clinical measures. This study aims to explore associations between the (OHRQoL) based on the children's Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (Child‐OIDP) index and oral diseases of Saudi school children living in Albaha region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross‐sectional study was conducted between November 2017 to January 2018 using two‐stage randomised sampling technique. The oral diseases and impacts were examined using the World Health Organization's (1997) guidelines and the Child‐OIDP index, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS software version 20.0. Chi‐squared, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression tests were used, as appropriate. RESULTS: In total 349 Saudi male school children, 12 to 15 years old, were recruited. The Child‐OIDPrate was significantly high (75.1%). The participants reported minor, moderate and major (severe) oral impacts (29.4%, 50%, and 20.6% respectively). The overall mean of the Child‐OIDP score was 2.15±1.40. CONCLUSIONS: The high overall Child‐OIDP score was in accordance with the participants' dental status. Further research should focus on improving knowledge and implementing education programmes to advance the community's oral diseases and practices.