Haifaa Al Qabbani

ABSTRACT

Aim: To compare the accuracy of the validated SOHO-5 to a previously validated version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) Materials and Methods: Five hundred fifty four preschool children between the age of 4 and 6 years in Riyadh city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were submitted to oral examinations. Parents answered Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) questionnaire (ECOHIS or SOHO-5). The number of decayed, missed, and filled deciduous tooth surfaces (dmfs) served as the measure to determine content and construct validity. Statistical analysis involved the Independent samples t-test as well as the calculation of Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: A statistically significant (p<0.05) positive correlation was found between SOHO-5 and ECOHIS, SOHO-5 and dmfs, and ECOHIS and dmfs. No statistically significant relation was found between SOHO-5, ECOHIS, and dmfs with gender (p>0.05). Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency reliability on SOHO-5 and ECOHIS was 0.756 and 0.747 respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the Arabic versions of both SOHO-5 and ECOHIS are equally effective as measures to assess OHRQoL in children below five years of age