Correlation and comparative analysis of discriminative validity of the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for Five-Year-Old Children (SOHO-5) and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) for dental caries

Abstract

BackgroundThe perceptions of parents and children regarding oral health are useful to oral public health and clinical practice in pediatric dentistry. The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between the total and item scores of the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for Five-Year-Old Children (SOHO-5) (parental version and child’s self-reports) and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). Subsequently, the discriminative validity of these assessment tools regarding dental caries was compared.MethodsOne hundred twenty-one children randomly selected in the city of Diamantina (Brazil) were submitted to oral examinations. Parents answered the ECOHIS and SOHO-5p (parental version) and children answered the SOHO-5c (child’s self-reports). Statistical analysis involved the Mann–Whitney test as well as the calculation of Spearman’s correlation coefficients.ResultsA significant correlation was found between the SOHO-5p and ECOHIS (r = 0.85), whereas no significant correlations were found between the SOHO-5c and SOHO-5p (r = 0.00) or between the SOHO-5c and ECOHIS (r = −0.41). Significant differences in the impact on quality of life were found between children with severe decay and no severe decay (caries free, with initial or established caries) both the ECOHIS and SOHO-5p (p ≤0.05), whereas no difference was found in SOHO-5c (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe ECOHIS and SOHO-5p were correlated with each other. The accounts of the children differed from their parents’ reports and were not capable of discriminating dental caries in advanced stages of progression.

Agreement Between Reports of Parents and Children About Children’s Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

“…Higher average total SOHO-5c scores expressed that children in this study tended to classify their OHRQoL as more compromised than their parents, and a significant difference was found among parent-child pairs (p = 0.0028). Similar results were found in research conducted with young children [7,8,22], when comparing the total SOHO-5 scores (parents and children's version),…”

“…The values of differences in the items found in this study corresponded to 3.5-21% of the maximum scores and were lower than those found by Brazilian authors [8], which may be explained by the fact that not every 5-6-year-old child age has the same level of cognitive development [3]. A child's perception of his/her oral health is influenced by age, cognitive, and emotional development, as well as by the social context in which he/she is inserted [22].…”

Impact of Caries Severity/Activity and Psychological Aspects of Caregivers on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among 5-Year-Old Children

“…However, all the studies cited used a proxy measure (ECOHIS), and most investigations using the SOHO-5 have employed a convenience sample [Abanto et al, 2013[Abanto et al, , 2014Dantas et al, 2015]. Studies using the SOHO-5 with a representative sample have revealed a correlation with the ECOHIS [Fernandes et al, 2015] as well as the negative impact of cavities and increased overjet on OHRQoL [Abanto et al, 2017]. It should be pointed out that the majority of preschool children in Brazil make use of public dental services [Machry et al, 2013].…”

Evaluation of Dental Status and Its Association with Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Preschool Children in Zahedan City, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…One of them is the index of the early childhood oral health impact scale (ECOHIS) (4), which is an appropriate and successful questionnaire in this field (7)(8)(9). Jabarifar et al examined the validity of Farsi-ECOHIS and concluded that this index is valid and reliable for assessing OHRQoL in Persian-speaking parents of preschool children with 2 -5 years old (9).…”