Young adults' views on the relevance of three measures for oral health-related quality of life

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the views of young adults on the relevance of three measures of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Methods: Sixteen young adults aged 21-29 years were interviewed. The selection was strategic with reference to age (21-25 years.; 26-30 years), sex and education (university degree; upper secondary school). The interview guide covered areas on the content and construction of the measures: The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) and the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life UK (OHRQoL-UK). The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: A theme expressing the latent content was formulated during the data analysis: 'young adults' own experiences were reflected in their views on the OHRQoL measures'; that is, the experiences of young adults of own oral problems and aspects that were found to be especially important for their age group influenced their view on the measures. The self-reported ability to understand and answer the questions varied and the perceived advantages and disadvantages were almost equally distributed among the three measures. Conclusions: The OHIP, OIDP and OHRQoL-UK were evaluated as being equal by the young adults in this study, with regard both to their pros and cons. The clarity of the measures was regarded as the most important factor, while the length and assessment period were less significant.