Quality of life and oral hygiene habits in schoolchildren aged 11 to 14

Introduction: Oral diseases affect the quality of life of schoolchildren, especially during the transition period between childhood and adolescence. Objective: To determine the relationship between quality of life and oral hygiene habits in schoolchildren aged 11 to 14. Methods: A basic, quantitative, correlational study with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 237 schoolchildren selected by simple random probability sampling from a population of 618 students. Two validated questionnaires were administered: the CPQ-Esp 11-14 to measure oral quality of life and a structured questionnaire to assess oral hygiene habits. Data analysis was performed in SPSS v. 26 using descriptive statistics using the Spearman coefficient and the Chi-square test. Results: A low positive correlation was found between quality of life and oral hygiene habits (rho = 0.281; p < 0.01). A significant relationship was also found between both variables and the age and sex of the schoolchildren (p < 0.05). "Low" quality of life and "fair" hygiene habits predominated. Conclusions: There is a significant relationship between quality of life and oral hygiene habits, suggesting the need to strengthen educational strategies in oral health from school age.