Association between oral and general health related quality of life among Norwegian patients with substance use disorders in opioid agonist therapy

Abstract

Objective

Assess the association between oral and general health related quality of life using oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) and the quality of life tool EQ-5D-5L from EuroQoL among patients with substance use disorder (SUD) who receive opioid agonist therapy.

Method

609 patients with SUD completed the EQ-5D-5L. A dental sub-study of 167 patients completed OIDP and an oral examination when attending outpatient clinics in Western Norway for their opioid agonist therapy. The merged analytical sample consisted of 165 patients. The association between OIDP and EQ-5D-5L was assessed by Spearman’s rho and a linear multiple variable regression analysis. A line graph and a Pen’s parade displayed the distributions of OIDP sum scores and EQ-5D-5L index values.

Results

Overall mean summary- and index EQ-5D-5L scores were 9.97 (sd 3.25) and 0.69 (sd 0.22). Mean score for OIDP was 9.75 (sd 9.59). Spearman’s rho was 0.34 (p < .01) between OIDP and EQ-5D-5L summary scores. Linear regression revealed an association adjusted for sex and age of 0.12 (95% CI 0.07–0.17) and a coefficient of determination of 0.1460.

Conclusion

This study reveals a strong association between OIDP and EQ-5D-5L reflecting the importance of oral health to general health for patients with SUD. Health care professionals should pay attention to oral health. Effective interventions might improve patients’ oral and health related quality of life.

Keywords:

• Health related quality of life
• oral health related quality of life
• substance use disorder
• opioid substitution treatment

Acknowledgements

Authors appreciate contribution from OMT patients and oral health care workers in Bergen. We thank the patients, devoted clinical staff, and INTRO-HCV Study Group (see list below) for their help during the project. We also thank Nina Elisabeth Eltvik and Christer Kleppe for valuable help and input during the planning and preparation phases. The INTRO-HCV Study Group participating investigators are the following: Bergen: Christer Frode Aas, Vibeke Bråthen Buljovcic, Fatemeh Chalabianloo, Jan Tore Daltveit, Silvia Eiken Alpers, Lars T. Fadnes (principal investigator), Trude Fondenes Eriksen, Rolf Gjestad, Per Gundersen, Velinda Hille, Kristin Holmelid Håberg, Kjell Arne Johansson, Rafael Alexander Leiva, Siv-Elin Leirvåg Carlsen, Martine Lepsøy Bonnier, Lennart Lorås, Else-Marie Løberg, Mette Hegland Nordbotn, Maria Olsvold, Christian Ohldieck, Lillian Sivertsen, Hugo Torjussen, Jørn-Henrik Vold, and Jan-Magnus Økland; Stavanger: Tone Lise Eielsen, Nancy Laura Ortega Maldonado, and Ewa Joanna Wilk; proLAR: Ronny Bjørnestad, Ole Jørgen Lygren, and Marianne Cook Pierron; Oslo: Olav Dalgard, Håvard Midgard, and Svetlana Skurtveit; Bristol: Aaron G. Lim and Peter Vickerman (in alphabetical order of surname).

Author contributions

ANÅ: had the idea of this study and wrote the manuscript. ANÅ, LTF, JHV, CFAA and KAJ designed the study. CFA and JHV performed data management and conducted statistical analyses. All authors contributed to writing of the manuscript and confirmed its final version.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data upon which this study is based is available from the authors upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This study received financial support from the Vestland County Council. Some of the costs including some of the data collection through the INTRO-HCV study were funded by the Norwegian Research Council [funding no 269855] and the Western Norway Regional Health Authority with the Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital as the responsible institution. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or to the preparation of this manuscript.