Table 3.
Correlationsa of Items From the Two New Brief Scales and Overall Summary Scales With Clinical Variables Among Participants in the Veterans Health Study and the Dental Longitudinal Study, 1993–1995 (N = 827)
| Scale | No. of Teeth (P) | Coronal Cariesb (P) | Periodontal Statusc (P) | Root Cariesd (P) | Scale/Item No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impairment | |||||
| Past 3 months how much pain and distresse | −0.11 (.003) | 0.11 (.004) | 0.15 (<.001) | 0.12 (.01) | OHQOL B31 |
| Physical | |||||
| Have to avoid eating any food | −0.35 (<.001) | 0.07f (.06) | 0.17 (<.001) | 0.14 (.004) | OHIP 28 |
| Distress | |||||
| Found difficult to relax with oral problems | −0.13 (<.001) | 0.09 (.01) | 0.14 (.003) | 0.08f (.08) | OHIP 35 |
| Feel depressed with oral problems | −0.16 (<.001) | 0.10 (.009) | 0.13 (.005) | 0.06f (.18) | OHIP 36 |
| Being upset with oral problems | −0.12 (.001) | 0.08 (.04) | 0.12 (.01) | 0.06f (.17) | OHIP 34 |
| Worry | |||||
| Uncomfortable about oral appearance | −0.12 (.001) | 0.20 (<.001) | 0.20 (<.001) | 0.11 (.02) | OHIP 22 |
| Past 3 months feel nervous or self-conscious—teethe | −0.15 (<.001) | 0.14 (<.001) | 0.18 (<.001) | 0.09f (.08) | GOHAI 10 |
| Worried by dental problems | −0.06f (.13) | 0.21 (<.001) | 0.17 (<.001) | 0.12 (.008) | OHIP 19 |
| Role | |||||
| Not get along with others | −0.13 (<.001) | 0.08 (.04) | 0.12 (.008) | 0.05 (.27) | OHIP 41 |
| Avoid going out with oral problems | −0.14 (<.001) | 0.11 (.004) | 0.17 (<.001) | 0.06 (.20) | OHIP 39 |
| Totally unable to function with oral problems | −0.11 (.003) | 0.05 (.16) | 0.11 (.02) | 0.09 (.06) | OHIP 48 |
| Denture | |||||
| Have uncomfortable dentures | −0.53 (<.001) | −0.08 (.03) | 0.05 (.28) | 0.07 (.11) | OHIP 18 |
| Summary scale (6 items) | −0.35 (<.001) | 0.09 (.009) | 0.19 (<.001) | 0.14 (.003) | NA |
| Summary scale (12 items) | −0.23 (<.001) | 0.14 (<.001) | 0.20 (<.001) | 0.12 (.01) | NA |
OHIP indicates Oral Health Impact Profile; GOHAI indicates Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Instrument; OHQOL indicates Oral Health Quality of Life; NA indicates not applicable.
Pearson correlation coefficients were used to obtain means. Higher oral quality of life scores represent poorer quality of life.
Coronal caries indicates coronal decayed surfaces at level 2 or greater.
Periodontal status indicates per person mean Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) score of available sextants.
Root caries indicates mean percentage of exposed root surfaces with unfilled decay.
Scores were reversed so that higher scores indicate poorer oral quality of life.
Correlations are not statistically significant.