Evaluation of Oral Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaires in a General Child Population

Background: The evaluation of instruments measuring oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children has been largely among convenience samples of patients with specific diseases or disorders such as cleft lip/cleft palate or malocclusion.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the consistency and validity of the recently developed Child Perception Questionnaires (CPQ(8-10) and CPQ(11-14)) and the corresponding Parental Perception Questionnaire (PPQ) in a general child population sample in South Australia.

Methods: The study was nested in the Child Oral Health Study. Some 1401 children aged 8 to 13 in 2002/03 were approached. Children were asked to complete the CPQ(8-10) and CPQ(11-14) according to their age while parents completed the PPQ. The questionnaires included global ratings of oral health and overall well-being. Scores for four domains (oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well-being and social well-being) were calculated. Data on caries experience (number of decayed, missing and filled tooth surfaces) and occlusal traits (using Dental Aesthetic Index) were collected for each child.

Results: The CPQs and PPQ showed acceptable internal consistency and construct validity against global ratings of oral health and overall well-being. Children who had more caries or less acceptable occlusal traits reported poorer OHRQoL establishing the discriminant validity of the instruments. Parents of the children reported similar child OHRQoL.

Conclusion: These results suggest that the instruments have consistency and validity in measuring OHRQoL of children in a general population.