Oral Health Related Quality of Life Among Young Adults

To assess the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of young adults in Hong Kong and its relationships with oral health status. A survey was conducted in a representative sample of Hong Kong adults aged 18 years. OHRQoL was measured by the short form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14, Chinese version). Clinical examinations were taken to assess the oral health status using DMFT index and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) according to WHO criteria. Information on socioeconomic status, self-perceived oral health status and treatment need was also collected. Totally 324 young adults (male: 177 and female: 147) were examined. The mean and median OHIP-14 score were 6.3 (SD = 5.8, range = 0-26) and 5, respectively. Half of the subjects (50.6 %) reported some negative impacts. Good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87) and construct validity in relation to perceived oral health status, perceived dental treatment need and perceived oral health impact on daily life were established. Neither socio-demographic background nor oral health status showed a significant association with OHIP-14 score (p > 0.05). The findings indicated that the impact of oral health on quality of life appeared to be low in the young Hong Kong adults. Chinese version of OHIP-14 had good reliability and validity in measuring OHRQoL of young Chinese adults. Neither socio-demographic background nor oral health status had an influence on their OHRQoL in this low impact population.