European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a precancerous disorder prevalent in the Southeast Asia and Indian sub continent. It can happen at any age, although young people and adults between the ages of 25 and 35 are most frequently affected (2^nd to 4^th decade). Its  clinical presentation is such that it leads to a significant deterioration in the cultural emotional, social and physical aspect of life. Therefore, In this study, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life (QoL) and gather data of patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). This cross-sectional study was conducted among factory workers of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. We used the consecutive sampling technique to recruit patients who were clinically diagnosed with OSMF (n = 424).  The first two inquiries, which pertained to general QoL and general health status, were assessed independently. The remaining inquiries (3-26), which included the physical, psychological, social, and environmental health areas, were assessed independently. In order to evaluate the validity of the WHOQOL-BREF domains, Cronbach’s Alpha was utilised. The OSMF patients’ quality of life was generally very low, and the majority of them were not happy with the state of their oral health. Among these, domains I and II were affected more than Domains III and IV