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Abstract

A questionnaire designed to measure oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in adults and children was assessed for its factorial structure and reliability using data from the Second International Collaborative Study on Oral Health Outcomes in New Zealand, Poland and Germany. Principal component analysis with orthogonal and oblique rotation was applied. The three-factor structure hypothesized for the children's questionnaire (self-reported oral disease symptoms, perceived oral well-being, social and physical functioning) was confirmed in New Zealand and Poland, and two self-reported oral disease symptom dimensions emerged in Germany. Five factors instead of the three hypothesized were identified for adults: two dimensions of symptoms were identified, and social and physical functioning appeared to be independent dimensions of OHRQOL. Similarity between the factors was demonstrated in all three countries. The reliability of the questionnaire ranged from moderate to excellent depending on the dimension and the country. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the cross-cultural stability of the OHRQOL questionnaire in New Zealand, Poland and Germany, for both children and adults. Further investigations by the present authors of the properties of the instrument in other samples will focus on demonstrating the stability and replicability of the factor structure identified here.

Evaluation of the Family Impact Scale for use in Brazil

“…There is current interest in children's QoL 18 , 21 , which includes social, psychological and functional aspects 5 , as well as oral health 5 , 28 . In addition, contemporary concepts of child health refer to both the child and the family.…”

An Overview of Children's Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Assessment: From Scale Development to Measuring Outcomes

“…Because oral health is “strongly age-dependent” [9], it is not surprising that differences in OHRQoL have been found between children and adults [10]. While many instruments exist to measure adult OHRQoL, bringing challenges to the development of appropriate measurement tools, designing instruments specifically for children and adolescents allow researchers to identify and examine OHRQoL factors that are unique to these populations (i.e., self-image, social acceptance, and school environment) [11, 12, 13].…”

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Following Root Canal Treatment of First Permanent Molars Among Children. A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Nevertheless, the effect of caries and dental treatment on children's quality of life differs from that of adults. 12 Moreover, children and adolescence psychosocial status changes with age and development. [12][13][14] Therefore, the outcome of these studies cannot be generalized on children.…”