Fatores associados à qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal de crianças e adolescentes com e sem deficiência visual

Abstract

Visual impairment (VI) has a direct impact on the daily performance of individuals with this condition, interfering with learning, social and economic inclusion, as well as self-esteem. Regarding oral health, the literature has shown that people with VI may experience oral health problems more frequently than those without the impairment, affecting their quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children and adolescents with VI. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted, with Group 1 comprising a sample of 17 children and adolescents with VI, assisted by the Instituto São Rafael, a reference institution for the care of people with VI in the city of Belo Horizonte, MG; and Group 2 comprising 51 children and adolescents without VI, enrolled in a public school in Belo Horizonte, MG. The sample was matched by sex and age in a 1:3 matching ratio, and individuals aged 6 to 14 years were selected. Participants were examined by two examiners previously trained and calibrated for dental caries (ICDAS-II and PUFA). To collect information regarding OHRQoL, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the PedsQL-OH™ 3.0 Scale self-report for children aged 5 to 18 years was used. Sociodemographic and child-related data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire completed by parents or guardians. Information on the presence of toothache reported by the child/adolescent was provided both by the guardians and the children/adolescents themselves. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and Poisson regression with robust variance, both unadjusted and adjusted. Associations with a p-value < 0.20 in the unadjusted analysis were included in the adjusted analysis (CI=95%, p<0,05). The study found that children and adolescents with VI had a higher mean number of cavitated carious teeth (2,35 ± 2,17) and a higher prevalence of clinical consequences of untreated dental caries (11,8%). Additionally, the absence of toothache in this group was associated with a 1.47 times greater likelihood of reporting better OHRQoL (95%CI=1.31–1.65; p<0.001). In the group without VI, the absence of clinical consequences of untreated dental caries (95%CI=1.14–1.64; p=0.001) and having married parents (PR = 1.14; 95%CI = 1.02–1.28) were factors associated with better OHRQoL. The results of this study suggest that the absence of dental pain may positively impact the OHRQoL of children and adolescents with VI, while the absence of clinical consequences of untreated dental caries and having married parents may positively impact the OHRQoL of those without VI. These findings reinforce the need for specific preventive and assistential strategies targeting each group, considering not only clinical but also psychosocial and family aspects, and highlight the importance of future studies with larger and more representative samples.