Tobacco use and oral health related quality of life among Indian adolescents

Objectives The present study was conducted to assess tobacco use and its effect on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in Indian adolescents. Methods The present study was conducted on 1,600 13–14 year old adolescents from the schools of Modinagar, western Uttar Pradesh, India selected using stratified random sampling technique. OHRQoL was assessed using Hindi version of Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ). Information regarding demographic, socioeconomic and oral health measures was also collected from the study participants. Tobacco use was assessed through questions derived from Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) questionnaire. Influence of predictor variables on tobacco use was evaluated using multilevel Poisson regression model. Results The tobacco use among the study population was 8.1 % and CPQ scores were 9.15±0.32. Adolescents who used tobacco had worse OHRQoL scores. Low socioeconomic status, presence of dental caries, absence of regular dental visits (last 6 months) were associated with increased regular consumption of tobacco products. Conclusions The findings of the present study play an important role in planning public health strategies to improve adolescent OHRQoL and reduce tobacco use.