**5. Conclusion**

*Quality of Life - Biopsychosocial Perspectives*

Brushing

Birth order

Failure

Consultation pattern

Sugar consumption

**Table 3.**

**Variables Not justified**

**Odds (95% IC)**

Regular 0.71 (0.43–1.17) 0.18 0.53 (0.25–1.11) 0.095

Second 1.31 (1.00–1.72) 0.44 1.22 (0.90–1.65) 0.198 Third 1.53 (1.09–2.16) 0.13 1.49 (1.01–2.22) 0.045 Fourth or more 2.13 (1483–3.06) <0.01 2.30 (1.49–3.54) <0.01 Do not know/do not recall 2.04 (1.11–3.72) 0.20 2.07 (1.01–4.28) 0.047

No 0.73 (0.58–0.91) <0.01 0.48 (0.20–1.11) 0.087 Do not know/do not recall 1.81 (0.90–3.66) 0.09 0.35 (0.15–0.81) 0.015

Irregular 2.57 (1.84–3.61) <0.01 2.47 (1.71–3.57) <0.01 Do not go to dental consults 1.71 (1.13–2.59) 0.01 1.55 (0.97–2.48) 0.06

Low 1.50 (1.18–1.91) <0.01 1.38 (1.07–1.78) 0.012

Irregular 1 1

First born child 1 1

Yes 1 1

Regular 1 1

High 1 1

*Results of the multiple logistic regression, São Lourenço da Mata/PE, 2014.*

**Value P**

**Adjusted Odds (95% IC)** **Value P**

It was demonstrated in this research that the impact related to oral health in this group of adolescents was associated with sex, where the girls reported a greater impact than the boys. It was noticed, based on this findings, that girls are more attentive, perceiving, and enhancing oral health [1, 4, 34, 35] feel more comfortable in reporting their health-related concerns or emotional problems [36] and are more

Most of the interviewees had gone to the dentist at least once in their lifetime, and a considerable percentage consulted the dental services in less than a year.

In the present study, the pattern of regular dental care was associated with the impact, which is in agreement with the findings of a study conducted in northern Tanzania [38] in which the frequency of having any oral impact had a directly proportional increase with the visit to the dentist. Likewise, another study verified an association of the impact with the recent use of dental services [39]. Studies have found that a greater proportion of participants who had never visited a dentist reported less impact [40, 41]. The possible explanation for this fact may be associated with the pattern of symptomatic dental care, since most adolescents visit the dentist only when they have toothache, have a mouth problem, or their oral health is poor, and statistically, these are more likely to have more regular dental care,

In the present study, adolescents with high sugar consumption showed a greater impact on quality of life related to oral health. Sugar consumption has long been

sensitive to the perception of his appearance [4].

Similar data were found by other authors [37–39].

according to the results of some studies [3, 4, 7, 37, 42, 43].

**154**

The present study demonstrated the independent association between behavioral and psychosocial factors in determining the impact on the quality of life related to oral health. This demonstrates that health promotion actions should be directed not only to specific actions such as tooth brushing and fluoride application but should include broader actions directed at contextual factors where the individual lives and their family structure.

The study also found that oral diseases have an impact on the studied population, mainly in female adolescents, younger children of families with more than one child, an irregular pattern of dental care, and high consumption of sugar. Thus, these results indicate that the vulnerability of social conditions is represented by families with several children, in which oral health becomes more likely to report impact.

#### **Conflict of interest**

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

*Quality of Life - Biopsychosocial Perspectives*
