Association Between Child Caries and Child and Family Quality of Life in an Amazonian Slum

Abstract

Purpose: To assess child and caregiver dental health status (DHS) and to measure the associations between child DHS and child and family quality of life in the informal Community of Claverito located on the Amazon River in Iquitos, Peru. Methods: DHS, as measured by decayed and filled teeth (DFT/dft), was recorded for 66 children and 35 caregivers using the World Health Organization Oral Assessment form. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) information for 64 children was measured using the Parental-Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ). The family impact of child oral disorders was measured using the Family Impact Scale (FIS). Descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between DFT/dft, P-CPQ, and FIS scores with significance level set at 5%. Results: The prevalence of untreated child dental caries was 97%. The child and caregiver’s mean DFT/dft scores were 6.8 (SD ± 4.5) and 8.7 (SD ± 13.3), respectively. Mean total P-CPQ and total FIS scores were 33.4 and 12.5, respectively. A significant positive association was observed between child DFT/dft scores and total FIS scores (p< 0.01). Significant associations were also observed between child DFT/dft scores and caregiver age (p< 0.01) and child DFT/dft scores and caregiver DFT scores (p< 0.01). Conclusions: Children and their caregivers living in the Community of Claverito exhibited high levels of untreated decay. There was a significant association between child DFT/dft scores and family impact scores, which suggests that poor child DHS may have a negative effect on the family quality of life. Because this was a cross-sectional study, further research is required to establish a causal effect.