Problematic use of the internet as a predictor of oral health-related quality of life: the mediating role of lifestyles in Peruvian schoolchildren.

Background: The pervasiveness of the Internet in everyday life, especially among young people, has raised concerns about its effects on mental health, education, and, recently, oral health. Previous research has suggested a complex relationship between Problematic Internet Use (PIU), lifestyles, and oral health-related quality of life, highlighting the need to examine these interactions further. This study seeks to explore the PIU as a predictor of oral health-related quality of life and examine the mediating role of lifestyles between both in a sample of Peruvian schoolchildren. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 293 Peruvian students aged 12 to 17 years (M = 14.42, SD = 1.5), using structural equations to analyze the relationship between PIU, lifestyles, and quality of life related to oral health. The data collection procedure was through a face-to-face survey. Validated instruments measured PIU, lifestyles, and oral health-related quality of life. The study's theoretical model was analyzed through structural equation modeling with the MLR estimator. The fit assessment was performed using the comparative fit index (CFI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and standardized root mean square residual (SRMR). Results: They indicated significant correlations between PIU, lifestyles, and oral health-related quality of life. A negative influence of PIU on lifestyles (β = -0.30, p <.001) and on oral health-related quality of life (β = -0.35, p <.001) was observed, as well as a positive relationship between PIU and oral health-related quality of life (β = 0.29, p <.001). The mediation of lifestyles was statistically significant, suggesting that they mediate the relationship between PIU and oral health-related quality of life. Conclusions: The study confirms that PIU can negatively affect adolescents' oral health-related quality of life, mediated by unhealthy lifestyles. It underlines the importance of promoting balanced Internet use and healthy lifestyles among young people to improve their oral well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]