Impacto das alterações bucais de pré-escolares no funcionamento familiar

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of tooth decay and traumatic dental injury (TDI) in preschool children aged three to five years old on the finances and work of their parents/guardians. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 837 preschool children enrolled in public and private institutions of Campina Grande-PB, Brazil. A pilot study was previously conducted with 40 preschoolers, to ascertain the methodology used. The Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (B-ECOHIS) was applied to determine the impact of dental caries and oral disorders on quality of life related to oral health (OHRQoL) of preschool children and their parents/guardians. The items “financial impact” and “taken time off work” (absenteeism) were the dependent variables. Parents/caregivers also completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic information (child’s sex, child’s age, parent’s/caregiver’s age, maternal education and family income), toothache history, perception of children’s general health and oral health. Clinical examinations were performed in children for three calibrated dentists (K: 0,85 to 0,90). As diagnostic criteria, it was used the International Dental Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS-II) and the criteria for diagnosis proposed by Andreasen et al. (2007). Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed, followed by logistic regression for complex samples (α = 5%). RESULTS: The frequency of absenteeism at work by parents/guardians due to oral health problems of their children was 9.2%. The factors associated with absenteeism were: low maternal education (OR = 2.306; 95% CI: 1.307- 4.068), toothache history (OR = 6.329; 95% CI: 3.178-12.607), and TDI types of avulsion/dislocation (OR = 7.927; 95% CI: 1.489-42.205). The frequency of financial impact due to oral health problems of preschool children was 7.7%. The following variables were associated with the financial impact: parental perception of oral health as bad (OR = 2.025; 95% CI: 1.016-4.034) and interaction between dental pain history and tooth decay (OR = 22.587; 95% CI: 4.838-105.448). CONCLUSION: Absenteeism at work by parents/guardians was influenced by maternal education, toothache history and dental trauma type avulsion/dislocation in preschoolers. The occurrence of financial impact on the family has been affected by the bad perception of parents about the oral health of children and interaction between dental pain history and tooth decay.