The Impact of Sex Differences and Oral Health Behaviors on Oral Health-related Quality of Life among Patients with Schizophrenia in Taiwan: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective: Oral health denotes general well-being, meaning that the person can perform functions such as eating, talking, and keeping smile. Those functions can impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with differences between sexes. In this study, we intended to examine sex differences and oral health behaviors in OHRQoL among institutionalized patients with schizophrenia. Methods: We recruited 150 institutionalized patients (99 men and 51 women) with schizophrenia in a nursing home. We measured OHRQoL with the 36-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire, and oral health by oral cleaning habits, oral health problems, and oral health care. Results: The mean values of the SF-36 physical component summary (PCS) score and mental component summary (MCS) score were 62.4 and 49.9, respectively, which were lower in women than those in men. Cooperativeness was a protective factor, but toothache and bleeding gums were risk factors in PCS. The standard cleaning method and cooperativeness were protective factors, but toothache, bleeding gums, and swollen gums were risk factors in MCS. Conclusion: Our study finding showed that women tended to report poorer physical and OHRQoL than men even after controlling oral health behaviors and problems. Toothache and bleeding gums were risk factors for poor OHRQoL. The findings provide useful information for health-care resource planning in patients with schizophrenia