Validation of the Arabic translation of the caries impacts and experiences questionnaire for children.

BACKGROUND

The recently developed Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children (CARIES-QC) is originally an English questionnaire targeting the assessment of caries-related quality of life from a child's point of view.

AIM

This study aimed to translate and adapt the CARIES-QC into the Arabic language and to test its reliability and validity on Arabic-speaking children.

DESIGN

A total of 234 children aged 5-16 years answered the translated questionnaire. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha; 62 children answered the questionnaire again to evaluate the test-retest reliability by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Convergent validity was evaluated by correlating question scores with global question scores. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to evaluate cross-cultural validity.

RESULTS

Cronbach's alpha of the CARIES-QC/A was 0.905. The inter-item correlation coefficients of the CARIES-QC/A ranged from 0.240 to 0.850. The total ICC score was 0.960. CFA demonstrated acceptable fit to the data in the one-factor model. Convergent validity indicated moderate correlation with the global question (r  = .740).

CONCLUSION

The CARIES-QC/A is a valid and reliable tool that could be used to evaluate oral health-related quality of life in Arabic-speaking children.