Relationship between the quality of dental services and the perceived quality of life among adolescents

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the relationship between the quality of dental services and the quality of life perceived by adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative epidemiological study, part of an epidemiological survey on oral health conditions among schoolchildren. Trained undergraduate students used a software developed for data collection using the QASO-A and KS-52 instruments and for building the database. The data were tabulated in MS Excel and later exported to the RStudio statistical software, version 4.3.2. Results: The sample consisted of 409 adolescents (54.3% girls; 74.1% mixed-race; 68.7% from state schools). The QASO-A showed the highest score in the Evaluation scale (8.50 ± 4.36) and an overall mean of 18.88 ± 3.88. In the KIDSCREEN-52, Feelings had the highest mean (21.84 ± 5.01), while Peer Relations/Bullying had the lowest (4.94 ± 2.35); the overall mean score was 168.70. Reliability (Ω) was ≥0.70 in almost all scales, except for Physical Activities and Health (0.66), Self-Perception (0.57), and Peer Relations/Bullying (0.63). The SEM showed adequate fit; QASO-A factor loadings were strong, while those of the KS-52 ranged from -0.20 to 0.86. The association between satisfaction with dental care and quality of life was not significant (p = 0.09). Conclusions: The results indicate that, despite the good model fit, the association between satisfaction with dental care and perceived quality of life was weak and not statistically significant, possibly due to the adolescents’ favorable epidemiological profile and the characteristics of the sample. Future studies should consider different age groups and socioeconomic contexts to enhance the generalizability of the findings.