An evaluation of the oral health quality of life (OHQoL) instrument in a Brazilian population

Abstract

Objectives: To translate and evaluate the performance of a Brazilian Portuguese version of the United Kingdom Oral Health related Quality of Life instrument, OHQoLUK©, in assessing the impact of oral health on quality of life among a Brazilian adult population. Design: Following forward-backwards translation the 16-item OHQoLUK© measure was administered to adults utilising municipal dental health services in Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil. The instrument's psychometric properties, validity and reliability, were assessed. Results: The response rate was 72% (323/450). OHQoLUK© scores were associated with self-reported oral health status including number of teeth present (p<0.001), denture status (p<0.01) and self-reported dental attendance pattern; time (p<0.05) and reason for last dental visit (p<0.001), supporting the construct validity of the measure. In addition, OHQoLUK© scores were associated with self-ratings of oral health (p<0.0001) and perceived need for dental treatment (p<0.001), supporting it's criterion validity. Internal reliability was high: Cronbach's alpha =0.96, while the agreement for each of the 16 OHQoLUK© items (Kappa values) ranged from 0.57 to 0.87. Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of OHQoLUK© measure of oral health related quality of life performed well, exhibiting good validity (face, construct and criterion) and reliability (internal and external). This confirms the sound psychometric properties of the OHQoLUK © measure and the applicability of the Portuguese version among a Brazilian population.