Validation of an oral health quality of life index (GOHAI) in France.

Abstract

Oral health has traditionally been defined in terms of disease. Today, health is seen in a wider context: taking into account its impact on everyday living. Several indices attempt to capture this dimension. The Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) has been adapted for general use and tested on adult samples, mainly in North America. Language, cultural norms and the health care system in France are different and this raises the need to validate the GOHAI in France before it receives widespread use. The purpose of this study was to test the validity of a French version of the GOHAI. The GOHAI is based on responses to a 12-item self-administered questionnaire. The items were translated into French, back-translated and compared with the original. After pilot testing and minor modifications, the French version was administered to a group of low-income persons benefiting from the national health insurance system (n = 260, 18-45 years). Measures for stability and internal consistency were calculated. Concurrent and discriminant validity were assessed. Cronbach's alpha (0.86) showed a high internal consistency and homogeneity between items. Item-scale correlations varied between 0.40 and 0.78. Repeat administration of the GOHAI to 32 participants gave weighted kappa coefficients from 0.51 to 0.87 and a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.87. Low GOHAI scores were associated with perceptions of poor oral and general health, low satisfaction with oral health and a perceived need for dental care. There were significant relationships between the GOHAI score and most objective measures of dental status except FT. Younger, well-educated and higher income respondents were more likely to have a high GOHAI score. The French version of the GOHAI exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties but two items (one about swallowing, the other with complex sentence structure) had poor stability.