Association of children's oral health and school environment on academic performance in 12‐year‐old schoolchildren of Quito, Ecuador

Objectives The primary aim of this study was to evaluate if children's oral health and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) were associated with school performance. Moreover, the study aimed to examine whether school environment factors influenced this association. Methods This cross‐se...

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Published in:Community dentistry and oral epidemiology 2024-04, Vol.52 (2), p.196-206
Main Authors: Mendes, Fausto Medeiros, Knorst, Jéssica Klockner, Quezada‐Conde, Maritza Del Carmen, Lopez, Edisson Fernando, Alvarez‐Velasco, Patricia Lourdes, Medina, Marco Vinicio, Balseca‐Ibarra, Mariela Cumanda, Ardenghi, Thiago Machado, Frias, Antonio Carlos, Pannuti, Claudio Mendes, Raggio, Daniela Prócida, Michel‐Crosato, Edgard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absenteeism
Academic achievement
academic performance
Child
Children
Children & youth
Childrens health
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dental caries
Dental Caries - epidemiology
Dental occlusion
Ecuador - epidemiology
Humans
Mathematical models
multilevel analyses
Oral Health
oral health‐related quality of life
Oral hygiene
Quality of Life
Regression analysis
School environment
schoolchildren
Schools
Surveys and Questionnaires
Trauma
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Objectives The primary aim of this study was to evaluate if children's oral health and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) were associated with school performance. Moreover, the study aimed to examine whether school environment factors influenced this association. Methods This cross‐sectional study was based on a population‐based sample of 998 12‐year‐old schoolchildren from 31 public schools in Quito, Ecuador. Trained and calibrated examiners conducted clinical exams for dental caries, dental trauma and malocclusion. Furthermore, children completed the Spanish version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11‐14), and their parents answered questions about socio‐economic status. School coordinators provided information on the physical environment, promotion of health practices and the occurrence of negative episodes in the school. There were three outcomes: grades obtained in Spanish language and mathematics and the number of missed school days. Multilevel linear and Poisson regression models were conducted using a hierarchical approach to include the variables guided by a previously created direct acyclic graph. Results Children with dental trauma and higher CPQ11‐14 scores showed lower grades and school attendance. Schoolchildren from schools with episodes of vandalism had more school days missed. Conclusion The school performance of 12‐year‐old children is affected by dental trauma and by a worse OHRQoL, as well as a negative school environment. Therefore, supportive environments and promoting health measures in schools could overcome this worse academic performance in children with oral health problems.
ISSN:0301-5661
1600-0528
DOI:10.1111/cdoe.12914