Cross cultural adaptation of oral health-related quality of life measures.

UNLABELLED

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQOL) is the shift in the perception of health from merely the absence of disease and infirmity to complete physical, mental and social well-being. The impact of health on the quality of life has received more attention in recent years in both general and oral health. OHRQOL assessments are used in oral health research, surveys and studies evaluating the outcome of oral care. If researchers have no appropriate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measure in their own language, they have two options: to develop a new measure or to modify a measure that has previously been validated in another language which is known as a cross-cultural adaptation process. The aim of this study is to provide guidance on how to adapt an existing measure of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQOL) for a different culture.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

It is important that dental professionals should have sufficient knowledge about Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in order to make sure that providing the treatment focuses on the patient rather than the disease. In addition, information about a patient's OHRQOL will make decisions on treatment plans which are more likely to influence clinical outcomes.