Assessing oral health-related quality of life: findings from the normative aging study

The contribution of oral health to health-related quality of life (HQOL) has seldom been examined. This study was designed to develop and validate a measure of oral health-related quality of life (OHQOL), examine relations between OHQOL and HQOL, and explore OHQOL's relation to problem-based dental care utilization in a sample of 1,242 older men, using data gathered by a mail survey. Factor analysis of eight oral health items revealed that three items related to the impact of oral conditions on daily functioning defined a factor labeled OHQOL. Factor analysis of the HQOL items and these three OHQOL items showed that OHQOL represents a separate and independent factor. Correlational analyses supported the construct validity of the OHQOL measure: Men with better OHQOL scores reported less dental pain or discomfort, fewer eating problems, and less problem-based dental care utilization. Logistic regression analysis showed that the measures of dental pain and oral discomfort were related positively to utilization, whereas OHQOL was related negatively. These results suggest that OHQOL represents a separate and distinct facet of HQOL that is associated with dental care utilization. Thus they support the validity of the OHQOL construct and suggest its use in future studies of HQOL.