A comparison of a generic and oral health-specific measure in assessing the impact of early childhood caries on quality of life

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a generic health-related quality-of-life measure, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0 (PedsQL (TM) 4.0) and an oral health-specific quality-of-life measure, the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) in assessing the impact of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) on the children's quality of life. Methods: A trained and calibrated examiner conducted a clinical oral assessment of 111 children (mean age: 49 +/- 12 months): 64 of whom were categorized as having S-ECC and 47 as being caries-free. Primary caregivers completed a Chinese version of the PedsQL (TM) 4.0 and the ECOHIS. Clinical examinations were conducted blind of the parental assessments. Results: The ECOHIS scores were significantly higher for the S-ECC group than for the caries-free group (P < 0.001). No significant difference was found between the PedsQL (TM) 4.0 scores in relation to caries status, except for the subscale of physical functioning (P = 0.04). Correlation of caries status with the ECOHIS scores was strong (r = 0.66; P < 0.01). No significant correlation was found between PedsQL (TM) 4.0 scores and caries status (r = 0.02; P > 0.05). Conclusions: The oral health-specific measure, ECOHIS, shows better discriminant property between children with S-ECC and caries-free children than the generic measure, PedsQL (TM) 4.0. The ECOHIS appears more sensitive than PedsQL (TM) 4.0 in assessing the impact of dental caries on the life quality of preschool children.