Impact of oral health conditions on the quality of life of workers

Abstract

Occupational health has been the scope of numerous studies, primarily due to the concern that the worker should enjoy good working conditions and a satisfactory quality of life. This study seeks to analyze the impact of oral health on the quality of life of workers at a public university using the simplified version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 326 workers who responded the questions of OHIP-14 about self-rated health, oral morbidity, and socioeconomic and demographic questions. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to verify the association between the independent variables and OHIP-14. About 40% of the impact of oral health on quality of life can be explained by the variables: education level (p = 0,03), age (p = 0,03), reason for visiting a dentist (p = 0,01), oral health perception (p < 0,01) and satisfaction with teeth and mouth (p < 0,01). The use of OHIP-14 can be useful for planning programs and actions focused on health education for occupational health, prioritizing workers with greater psychosocial impacts caused by oral problems.