ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (OHRQoL) AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OF KARACHI

BackgroundIn the field of health services research, the concept of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) plays a crucial role in examining oral health trends and assessing the needs of the population. It helps gauge the impact of oral diseases on people's daily lives. This study aimed to assess OHRQoL among university students in Karachi. MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was done among 300 individuals belonging to a university in Karachi. The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 24 years, and most of them were females (79.7%). Data collection was carried out using a self-administered short-form of oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire, comprising 14 questions organized into 7 subscales. Data quality was analyzed descriptively, and the reliability of the data was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. ResultsThe study found that 25.9% of the participants reported an impact on their OHRQoL. The mean OHIP-14 score was 12.26 ± 10.9. Notably, the subscales of psychological discomfort and physical pain had the highest impact, affecting 43.9% and 34.2% of participants, respectively. In contrast, the social handicap subscale had the least impact, affecting only 13.2% of participants. ConclusionThe mean OHIP-14 score indicates that oral health had limited overall impact on students’ OHRQoL, although psychological discomfort and physical pain were the most affected domains. The OHIP-14 showed acceptable reliability, supporting its usefulness as an assessment tool in this population. Strengthening school-based oral health education, implementing routine dental screening, and improving access to preventive dental services are recommended to reduce discomfort and enhance students’ oral health–related quality of life.