Perceived Impact of Oral Health Conditions Among Minority Adolescents

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the perceived impact of oral health conditions, and the relationship of two measures of self-reported outcome, the RAND SF-36 and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), to clinical indicators of oral health among inner-city adolescents. METHODS: A convenience sample of 93 minority adolescents completed the RAND SF-36 and the OHIP and 76 of them completed a clinical dental examination assessing DMFS. RESULTS: Participants averaged 14.4 (SD = 1.2) years old; 52 percent were female; and 86 percent were African-American. The mean DMFS was 8.8 (SD = 6.3). Participants reported relatively poor general health on the SF-36 as well as poor oral health on the OHIP. None of the SF-36 subscales were significantly related to DMFS. OHIP subscales were consistently related to DMFS--those with worse oral health reported more impacts. With the exception of the bodily pain subscale of the SF-36, the SF-36 and OHIP subscales were significantly correlated with Pearson's correlations ranging from -.21 to -.57 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the SF-36 and the OHIP were correlated, the OHIP appears to be more highly associated with the impacts of oral health conditions than the SF-36 among inner-city adolescents who reported low general and oral health quality of life.