Title: Impact of Oral Health Status, Oral Health Related Quality of Life and Social Determinants of Health on the Academic performance of 12 and 15 Year Old Children in Bangalore – A Descriptive study
Authors: Dr Deesha Kumari, Dr Arkalgudu Govindraju Harikiran, Dr Jyotsna Srinagesh
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i6.12
Abstract
Oral health problems in children have a detrimental impact on their daily performance and quality of life causing missed school days and poor academic performance. The present study was conducted to measure the impact of Oral Health Status, Oral Health Related Quality Of Life and Social Determinants of Health on the Academic Performance of 12 and 15 year old school children in Bangalore, Karnataka. A cross–sectional study employing a multi-stage cluster random sampling strategy was conducted among 860 children aged 12 and 15 years. The assessment was carried out in 3 sections including oral health status examination by calibrated examiners, Oral Health Related Quality of life assessment using COHIP questionnaire for children and Social Determinants of Health assessment by using a parental questionnaire. The children’s previous year academic grades were obtained from the school authorities. Mother’s education and missed school days due to oral problems were significantly associated with the Academic Performance of both 12 and 15 year old children. The ordinal regression model, established that with every 1 day decrease in the missed school days due to oral problems or 1 higher education qualification of mother, the Academic Performance of children increased to the next higher grade. The study revealed that oral Health Status independent of the social determinants of health influenced the Academic Performance of children. This initiates the need to influence policy makers and stakeholders to inculcate solitary or integrated oral health interventions in schools, thus aiming at effective oral health promotion.
Keywords: “Academic Performance”, “Bangalore”, “Oral Health Related Quality of Life”, “Oral Health Status ” , “Social determinants of Health” “School Children”.
