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Document Type |
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Thesis |
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Document Title |
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Oral Health Quality of Life in a Group of Children with Autism in Jeddah: Parents’ Perception : جودة الحياة المتعلقة بصحة الفم لدى مجموعة من الأطفال المصابين بالتوحد في مدينة جدة: منظور الأهل |
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Subject |
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Preventive Dental Sciences Department > Division |
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Document Language |
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Arabic |
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Abstract |
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The literature indicated that studies in Saudi Arabia on oral health and particularly on oral health related quality of life (OHRQOL) in children with autism are lacking. Aim: To assess the parental perception of the OHRQOL and the oral health status in a group of children with autism in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to compare their results to those of healthy children. Also, to compare the findings of the oral examination to the parents’ estimation of OHRQOL. Methods: This case control study included a sample of 75 autistic children ages 6-12 years from one public and nine private centers for autism and/or mental disability, and 99 healthy children from five elementary schools (public and private). Parents of the children filled out a questionnaire that included their children’s: demographic data, medical and dental histories, and the Franciscan Hospital for children Oral Health-related Quality of Life (FHC-OHRQOL) instrument which in turn included four sections: I-child’s oral symptoms, II-daily life problems, III-parental concerns, and IV-a visual analog scale (VAS). An oral examination of the children was also done. Results: The children from the autism group reported significantly more mean number of symptoms (p=0.041) daily life problems and parental concerns (p=0.000 for both) than the controls. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the mean summary scores for the oral symptoms. However, the children from the autism group reported significantly higher mean summary scores in daily life problems and parental concerns (p= 0.004 and 0.008 respectively). In the last section (VAS), the results showed that the children with autism had significantly lower scores in the parents’ opinion on their child’s teeth and mouth (p=0.000), their rating for the child’s oral health when compared to others (p=0.001), their feeling about their child’s oral health and their rating of their child’s overall QOL (p= 0.000 in both). Upon examination, children with autism showed significantly more extra-oral and intra-oral findings (p=0.000 for both) and higher caries prevalence and severity (p=0.013 and 0.003 respectively) than the controls. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in their oral hygiene status and gingival health. In the children with autism, the FHC-OHRQOL sections I showed a correlation with the Visual Periodontal Index scores, section III with both the dft+DMFT index and the Visual Periodontal Index scores and in section IV, correlations were generally detected with the dft+DMFT index and in the 1st question with the Visual Periodontal Index scores. Conclusions and Recommendations: Parents of children with autism generally report more oral problems/symptoms, daily life problems and parental concerns related to their child’s oral health and also rate them with lower oral well-being and QOL scores compared to parents of healthy children. Children with autism also show more extra-oral and intra-oral findings and higher caries prevalence and severity than the controls. Further studies addressing the oral health issues of children with autism in Saudi Arabia and the development of strategies targeted to improve their oral health and ultimately their QOL are recommended. |
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Supervisor |
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Dr. Sumer Alaki |
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Thesis Type |
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Master Thesis |
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Publishing Year |
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1434 AH
2013 AD |
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Co-Supervisor |
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Dr. Eman El-Ashiry |
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Added Date |
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013 |
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Researchers
| جيهان عبد الأحد خان | Khan, Jihan Abdulahad | Researcher | Master | |
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