Associação entre cárie dentária, condições socioeconômicas e qualidade de vida de pré-escolares do Município de Patos - PB.

Abstract

This study evaluated the relation between dental caries, socioeconomic conditions and quality of life in 215 children 5 years old enrolled in public and private schools in the city of Patos- PB , Brazil . The aspects of quality of life were evaluated through the use of questionnaires Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale in its brazilian version (B-ECOHIS) and Autoquestionnaire Qualité de Vie Enfant Image (AUQEI). To evaluate the socioeconomic was developed a form containing questions about the socioeconomic conditions of families. The prevalence of dental caries was assessed using the DMFT index, following the criteria proposed by the World Health Organization. Data were analyzed using the R statistical software for Windows, version 3.1.0. Prevalence of caries 65.1% and DMFT of 3.53 (3.94) was found, with 92.6 % of decayed teeth. Children who attended private schools (p=0,001), lived in homes financed (p = 0.006) and whose families had a monthly income above 3 minimum wages (p = 0.004), were less likely to develop the disease. The impact of dental caries on the quality of life of children examined was observed, being higher in the areas of symptoms and the distress of parents. The classification of the quality of life by AUQEI not correlated with dental caries (p>0.05), although the assessment of inquiry individually has shown statistically significant relationship with respect to items "a night to sleep" (p = 0 01), "when practicing sport" (p = 0.047), "when he plays alone" (p = 0.049) and "when friends talk about you" (p = 0.044). No correlation between quality of life and socioeconomic factors was found. Knowledge of these data enables the adequacy of health care, as well as a reorientation of public spending , with preventive and care activities, aimed at improving the health and therefore the quality of life of the child.