Validation of the child oral health impact profile (COHIP) french questionnaire among 12 years-old children in New Caledonia

Abstract

Background: The Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) is an Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQOL) tool that assesses the impact of oral diseases on quality of life in children. This study aimed to assess the validity of the COHIP French questionnaire (45 items) and to evaluate the OHRQOL of 12-years children in New Caledonia. Methods: After cultural adaptation of the COHIP questionnaire, data were collected from clinical oral examinations and self-administered questionnaires in a representative sample of children aged 12 years in New Caledonia. Questions related to socio-demographic status or children's perception of their oral and general health were added to the COHIP questionnaire. Studying the association between COHIP scores and health subjective perceptions or dental status indicators assessed concurrent and discriminant validity. The items of the COHIP were subjected to principal components analysis. Finally, reproducibility and reliability were evaluated using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results: Two hundred and thirty-six children participated in the main study; mean age was 12.6 ± 0.31 years, 55.1 % were girls and diverse ethnic groups were represented. A preliminary reliability analysis has led to calculate COHIP scores with 34 items as in the English version, scores ranged from 35 to 131 (mean ± SD, 101.9 ± 16.84). Lower COHIP scores were significantly associated with the self-perception of poor general or oral health. COHIP was able to discriminate between participants according to gender, ethnic group, oral hygiene, dental attendance, dental fear and the presence of oral diseases. Test-retest reliability and scale reliability were excellent (ICC = 0.904; Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.880). Four components were identified from the factor analysis. Conclusion: The French 34-items COHIP showed excellent psychometric properties. Further testing will examine the structure and utility of the instrument in both clinical and epidemiological samples.