Sense of coherence moderates the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and oral health-related quality of life in schoolchildren

Aim: To evaluate the moderating effect of the sense of coherence (SOC) in the relationship between racial discrimination and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in schoolchildren.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study nested in a cohort performed in southern Brazil. OHRQoL was assessed using the short version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14). The perception of racial discrimination was measured using a question contained in the Bullying Questionnaire by Olweus, and SOC through the shortened version of the 13-item Sense of Coherence Scale. Sociodemographic and dental caries following the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) characteristics were also collected. A simple slop test and Poisson regression analysis were performed to test the interaction effects of the predictors on OHRQoL.Results: A total of 429 schoolchildren were included in this study. About 6.7% reported had perceived racial discrimination. The simple slope test indicated that the negative effects of racial discrimination on OHRQoL were significant under different SOC levels. Among schoolchildren who suffered racial discrimination, those who had higher SOC reported lower impact on OHRQoL when compared to those with low SOC.Conclusion: SOC can be considered a moderating variable in the relationship between racial discrimination and OHRQoL.Clinical significance: These findings highlight that psychosocial factors such as SOC could attenuate the impact of perceived discrimination on OHRQoL in adolescence.