BACKGROUND: Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is a client-centered outcome, yet it is often overlooked in routine HIV care. This study aimed to describe the status of the OHRQoL among people living with HIV (PLWH) in China, examine factors independently associated with OHRQoL, and identify oral-psychological burden profiles. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 449 participants recruited from two designated HIV hospitals in Hunan Province, China, between May and August 2025. Data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, oral and psychosocial factors, and OHRQoL were collected. OHRQoL was assessed using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), which comprises four dimensions-functional limitation, pain and discomfort, disability, and psychosocial impact-with higher scores indicating poorer OHRQoL. OHRQoL and covariates were summarized descriptively, and potential correlates were examined using multivariable regression analysis. Latent profile analysis was then performed using oral health status, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and HIV-related stigma to identify oral-psychological burden profiles. External comparisons across the retained profiles were conducted using OHRQoL and other sociodemographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: The mean OHIP total score was 12.27±9.12 (range 0-56). Domain scores were: pain and discomfort (3.74±2.25, range 0-12), functional limitation (2.87±2.45, range 0-12), psychosocial impact (2.62±2.45, range 0-12), and disability (3.03±3.43, range 0-20). Poorer oral health status (β=1.117, 95% CI 0.815-1.419; P<.001) and greater depressive symptoms (β=0.958, 95% CI 0.115-1.801; P=.026) were independently associated with worse OHRQoL. Three oral-psychological burden profiles were identified: low (n=154, 34.3%), moderate (n=191, 42.5%), and high (n=104, 23.2%). External comparisons showed a graded pattern, with the high-burden profile characterized by older age, a higher proportion of women, lower socioeconomic status, poorer antiretroviral therapy adherence, lower social support, and worse OHRQoL. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that PLWH in this study reported measurable oral health impacts on daily life, particularly in pain and discomfort, with oral health status and depressive symptoms as key correlates. Oral and psychological burdens clustered into distinct profiles, highlighting the potential value of considering within-population heterogeneity when addressing oral health and related quality of life.
Zhu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.