Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the malocclusion impact questionnaire for patients seeking orthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the adaptability and validity of the Arabic version of the Malocclusion Impact Questionnaire (MIQ-AR) in patients seeking orthodontic treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 77 Arabic speaking, healthy, 10-16-year-old children, selected based on their personal perception of "needing braces.". The participants completed the MIQ-AR and the Child Perceptions Questionnaire for children aged 11-14 (CPQ11-14), answered two global questions, and had their Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need, Dental Health Component (IOTN.DHC) scores recorded. Construct validity was examined by measuring the correlation between the MIQ-AR score and the responses to the two global questions. Criterion validity was examined by measuring the correlation between the MIQ-AR and both the IOTN.DHC and CPQ11-14 scores.

RESULTS

Moderate positive correlations were observed between the MIQ-AR scores and the first (ρ = 0.320, < 0.001) and second global questions (ρ = 0.388, < 0.001). A strong positive correlation was found between the total CPQ11-14 and MIQ-AR scores (ρ = 0.597, < 0.001). A positive gradient was observed between the MIQ-AR scores and IOTN.DHC scores.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that the MIQ-AR is a valid tool for measuring oral health-related quality of life in patients with malocclusion, with good psychometric parameters. These preliminary findings require further testing in various settings involving a larger and more diverse sample.