Abstract: Objective　To explore the clinical and social demographic factors impacting the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) in middle-aged and elderly population in Jiangsu Province during the fourth national oral health survey. Methods A multistage, stratified, equal volume and random sampling method was carried out to conduct oral health questionnaire survey and clinical examination for 35-~74-year-old middle-aged and elderly people in Jiangsu Province according to the investigation methods of the basic methods of WHO oral health survey (Fifth Edition) and the national fourth national oral health epidemiology survey program. The questionnaires, with Mandarin Chinese version of the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), were completed by the investigators at the scene of the fourth national oral health survey. Results The average GOHAI score of the respondents was 53.29±6.64, including 17.51±2.97 score in physiological function, 12.63±2.15 score in pain and discomfort, and 23.15±2.59 score in psychosocial function. Among the negative effects of each item, “restricting the type and quantity of food” exerted the greatest negative impact and accounted for 16.60%, followed by “sensitive to cold, hot or sweet stimulation”, which accounted for 15.20%. The analysis of the results of the related influencing factors of GOHAI score of the investigated population showed that the average score of GOHAI in the 35-44 age group was higher than that in the 65- to 74-year-old age group. There was a statistically significant correlation between GOHAI score and the gender, education, dental caries number, missing teeth number, gingival bleeding teeth number, teeth with dental calculus number, and the existence of deep periodontal pockets. Conclusion The OHRQoL score of middle and old aged people in Jiangsu is mainly influenced by demographic sociological factors, including gender, education, and dental clinical condition, such as dental caries, dental integrity and periodontal condition. It is important to carry out active prevention and treatment of dental caries and periodontal diseases, promoting the improvement of oral health related quality of life in the elderly.

Key words: Jiangsu Province, the middle-aged and elderly population, oral health related-quality of life