The ageist attitudes among dental clinicians may result in inadequate treatment planning and reduce quality of life for older adults. This study aimed at performing a preliminary validation of an ageism scale for dental students (ASDS) in Serbia (ASDS-Serb). Methods and Results:The 27-item ASDS was translated from English into Serbian and completed by 129 dental students. Principal component analysis (PCA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency reliability and discriminant validity were estimated. PCA produced a 17-item scale distributed into five factors that explain 64.24% of the total variance. All items showed high to moderate reliability (0.50-0.83). CFA indicates an acceptable model fit with significant standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.14-0.99. The first factor dealt with negative views of older adults' life and dental treatment, the second factor related to ethical values about older people, the third factor compared younger and older adults in dental care and the fourth factor related to difficulties in medical history taking. The fifth factor related to perceptions of oral health and treatment of older adults. Discriminant validity revealed significant differences related to the semester of studies, gender and having older people in the family. Conclusion:The preliminary validation of the ASDS-Serb resulted in a 17-item scale distributed into the five factors with acceptable validity and reliability.

Validity and reliability of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) scale in the elderly population of Bosnia and Herzegovina Objectives: To adapt the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) index for elderly people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and test its validity, reliability and responsiveness to change. Background: Clinical measures alone may not be adequate for assessing the oral health of individuals. Subjective oral health indicators tested within a particular cultural context may not be relevant across cultures. Materials and methods: The study population comprised 231 free-living adults aged 65 years or older. The OIDP was cross-culturally adapted from English into the Serbian language and its psychometric properties were tested. Data were collected using a clinical examination and a questionnaire containing the OIDP. Results: In terms of reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.82 and the intraclass correlation coefficient 0.88. The very high correlation of OIDP with self-rated oral health (r = 0.78) verified criterion validity, while construct validity was demonstrated through its significant and graded associations with other subjective health measures. OIDP change scores on a treated subsample showed moderate effect size (0.59) and were associated with perceptions of oral health change, providing evidence for its responsiveness to change. Conclusion: The Bosnian version of the OIDP showed satisfactory validity, reliability and responsiveness to change confirming its appropriateness for use among older populations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The caregivers were aware of the limitations in everyday oral care of nursing homes residents in Serbia, although solving these problems requires the involvement of the entire public health service.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and the severity of oral impacts and the relationships between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and clinical measures of oral function in a sample of older adults in Bosnia. The sample comprised 261 community-dwelling adults of ≥65 yr of age. Participants were randomly drawn from three senior day-centres for elderly people. Data were collected using clinical examination and a questionnaire. The OHRQoL was assessed through the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) measure, in terms of the prevalence, intensity, and extent of oral impacts. Overall, 55.2% reported at least one oral impact in the last 6 months. Difficulty eating (43.3%) and difficulty speaking (34.1%) were the most common impacts. These were also the most severely affected performances, while 'going out' and 'enjoying the contact of other people' were the least severe. A higher number of natural teeth, natural occluding pairs, and anterior and posterior occluding pairs were all significantly associated with a lower prevalence of oral impacts and correlated with the OIDP score, even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. The prevalence of oral impacts was high and there was a strong and consistent association between OHRQoL and clinical dental indicators of function.

Background/Aim. Elderly residents in nursing homes have a great risk of periodontal and tooth diseases. Improving oral health can also improve residents' general health and quality of life. The objective of our study was to investigate oral health related quality of life of institutionalized elderly in Serbia using Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Methods. The Serbian version of the GOHAI questionnaire was developed in accordance with the recommended backward-forward method. A total of 301 participants completed the Serbian version of the GOHAI questionnaire. The questionnaire sought information about sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported perception of general and oral health. Clinical examination included assessment of periodontal and dental status. Reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent and convergent validity of GOHAI scores were examined. Results. There were 197 female and 104 male participants with the average age of 78.6 (SD ± 7.8) and average time spent in nursing home 4.9 (SD ± 4.7) years. The average score of the GOHAI was 48.4 (SD ± 8.4). Low GOHAI scores were associated with perceptions of poor oral and general health. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the Serbian version of GOHAI was 0.79. This instrument showed a high level of internal consistency and homogeneity between questions. The respondents who perceived that they needed dental treatment at the time had significantly lower GOHAI scores. A total of 48.5% of the participants reported 'always' having difficulties when chewing. On the other hand, a small number of participants (0.3%) used medications 'always' to relieve dental pain. Conclusion. The Serbian version of the GOHAI showed acceptable reliability and validity. The GOHAI final score was considered low, indicating low oral health self-perception by the institutionalized elderly in Serbia. for the aged; surveys and questionnaires; sensitivity and specificity; serbia. Apstrakt Uvod/Cilj. Stariji korisnici domova za stara lica izloženi su velikom riziku od nastanka periodontalnih bolesti i bolesti zuba. Poboljšanje oralnog zdravlja može poboljšati opšte zdravlje i kvalitet života korisnika domova za stara lica. Cilj našeg istraživanja bio je da se ispita oralno zdravlje i njegova povezanost sa kvalitetom života korisnika domova za stara lica u Srbiji pomoću indeksa Geriatric Oral Health Assessment (GOHAI). Metode. Srpska verzija upitnika GOHAI razvijena je u skladu s preporučenom backward-forward meto-dom. Ukupno 301 ispitanik učestvovao je u studiji. Upitnik je sadržao pitanja o sociodemografskim karakteristikama i sopstvenoj percepciji oralnog i opšteg zdravlja. Klinički pregled uključivao je procenu periodontalnog i dentalnog statusa. Ispitivani su pouzdanost, interna konzistentnost i konkurentna i konvergentna valjanost upitnika GOHAI. Rezultati. Ispitano je 197 ženskih i 104 muška ispitanika, prosečne starosti od 78,6 (SD ± 7,8) godina sa prosečnim vremenom provedenim u domu od 4,9 (SD ± 4,7) godina. Prosečna vrednost skora GOHAI bila je 48,4 (SD ± 8...