Influence of dental caries on oral health-related quality of life, school absenteeism and school performance among Nepalese schoolchildren

Saujanya Karki; Jari Päkkilä; Marja-Liisa Laitala; Manoj Humagain; Vuokko Anttonen

doi:10.1111/cdoe.12485

Influence of dental caries on oral health-related quality of life, school absenteeism and school performance among Nepalese schoolchildren

Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2019 Dec;47(6):461-469. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12485. Epub 2019 Jul 10.

Authors

Saujanya Karki^{1

2

3}, Jari Päkkilä⁴, Marja-Liisa Laitala¹, Manoj Humagain³, Vuokko Anttonen^{1

2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Research Unit of Oral Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
² Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
³ School of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
⁴ Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
⁵ Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.

PMID: 31292990
DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12485

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of untreated dental caries and its consequences on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), school absenteeism and school performance in Nepal.

Methods: This is a population-based, national cross-sectional study. This study was conducted among three WHO index age groups (5-6, 12- and 15-year-olds) of schoolchildren from 18/75 randomly selected districts of Nepal. Clinical findings on untreated dental caries lesions (decay in primary and permanent dentition, dt/DT) and its consequences (pufa/PUFA) were recorded, and the participants were graded into four categories based on the severity of untreated dental caries (GUDC). The Nepali version of Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (C-OIDP) was used to assess the information on OHRQoL. Similarly, school-related information (school absenteeism and school performance) was collected from the school registry. Generalized linear mixed models with random effects were used to evaluate the association between dental caries and OHRQoL, school absenteeism and school performance.

Results: Among the study sample, the mean (SD) C-OIDP score was 2.4 (5.0). It was observed that the 15-year-olds, those belonging to the Newari ethnic group, and children with high GUDC grades had poor OHRQoL. After adjusting for confounding factors, high dt + DT or pufa + PUFA was associated with higher impact on OHRQoL. Similarly, lower grades of GUDC (Grade 1 and Grade 2) also had less impact on OHRQoL than the most severe Grade 4. High dt + DT or pufa + PUFA were associated with maximum school absenteeism. Furthermore, high C-OIDP and a grade of GUDC ≥2 score were associated with poor school performance.

Conclusion: Untreated dental caries and its consequences have a considerable impact on OHRQoL. These conditions may contribute to high school absenteeism and poor school performance.

Keywords: children; dental caries; oral health-related quality of life; school absenteeism; school performance.

MeSH terms

Absenteeism
Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dental Caries* / epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Nepal / epidemiology
Oral Health*
Prevalence
Quality of Life*