Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Associated Factors among Urban Poor Children and Their Families in Klang Valley

Background: Preschool children in poor urban areas suffer from severe oral diseases that may impact their daily performances. The study’s objectives were to assess parent-reported oral health status of 5-6-year-old poor urban children in Klang Valley, assess their oral health-related quality of life (OHQRoL), assess parents and children’s oral health behaviours, and assess significant factors associated with children’s OHRQoL. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with preschool children in urban poor areas in Klang Valley. Parents answered a self-administered questionnaire on socio-demographics, global oral health items, oral health behaviours, and Malay Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 29.0 and STATA Descriptive statistics, simple and multivariate linear regressions were used for data analysis. Results: Overall, 337 of the 553 questionnaires were returned (60.9% response rate). Majority of parents perceived their child’s oral health status as ‘good’ and ‘very good’ (70.4%). The prevalence of oral impacts was 31.8% (ECOHIS mean score=2.41; SD=3.54). Majority of parents and children had comparable oral health behaviours, i.e. brushing teeth >2x/day (73% vs 90.8%), using fluoridated toothpaste (61.4% vs 77.7%), and consuming sugary food/drinks <4x/day (94.7% vs 95.5%). Children with ‘fair’ oral health status (p=0.02), ‘never’ had teeth problems (p<0.001), and ‘never-hardly ever’ had toothache (p<0.001) were significant factors of children’s OHRQoL. Conclusions: Preschool children in urban poor areas in Klang Valley had low prevalence of oral impacts. Children’s reported oral health status, their experience with teeth problems, and past toothache were significant factors of children’s OHRQoL