Document Type : Original Articles

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have shown that different factors affect the oral health-related quality of life in children. Considering the shortcomings of literature on preschool children, this study was designed and conducted to determine the level of oral health-related quality of life of 2‒5-year-old children of Shiraz and to assess its relationship with the socioeconomic status of their families. Materials and methods: In an analytical cross-sectional study, 300 parents of 2‒5-year-old children living in three (affluent, average and deprived) areas of the city of Shiraz were asked to fill the F-ECOHIS questionnaire, which is a standardized Farsi translation of ECOHIS questionnaire. To assess socioeconomic status of families, the information about family income, educational level of parents, number of children in the family, and the sequence of birth of children in the family were collected along with demographic data. Data were analyzed with SPSS 17 using independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (α=0.05). Results: The mean F-ECOHIS score of all the children was 20.70 (from 13 to 53.85). The level of oral health-related quality of life increased from more deprived to more affluent areas (p value = 0.005), and with an increase in family income (p value < 0.001), and parents' level of education (p value < 0.001). The level of oral health-related quality of life decreased with an increase in the number of children in the family (p value < 0.001) and the child's birth rank in the family (p value < 0.001). No significant differences were found between boys and girls (p value = 0.302). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the oral health-related quality of life of 2‒5-year-old children of Shiraz had a direct relationship with socioeconomic status of their family. Key words: Education, Income, Oral health, Quality of life, Socioeconomic status.