Validation of a measuring instrument for the perception of oral health in women

The aim of this study was to estimate the reliability, validity and factorial invariance of the Portuguese version of the Geriatric/General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) as applied to Brazilian women. A total 701 women over 18 years of age participated in this study. Telephone interviews were conducted. We evaluated the construct-related validity through factorial, convergent and discriminant validity. We carried out a confirmatory factor analysis using the χ2/df, CFI, GFI and RMSEA indexes. The invariance of the model in a second independent sample was estimated by multi-group analysis and internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Items 5 and 9 presented factor weights below the adequate value and were removed. The three-dimensional and unifactorial model presented an adequate fit. We observed strong factorial invariance of the models in two independent samples (three-factor: ρλ = 0.62; pCov = 0.89, one-factor: ρλ = 0.81; pCov = 0.68) and weak factorial invariance between users and nonusers of dental prosthetics (three-factor: ρλ = 0.55; pCov = 0.01, one-factor: ρλ = 0.51; pCov = 0.02). The convergent validity was suboptimal. Internal consistency was adequate. The GOHAI applied to the study sample showed adequate reliability, factorial validity and stability in independent samples and between users and nonusers of dental prosthetics in both the three-dimensional and the unifactorial structures.

本研究旨在评估葡萄牙语版老年/通用口腔健康评估指数（Geriatric/General Oral Health Assessment Index, GOHAI）应用于巴西女性人群时的信度、效度及因子不变性。本研究共纳入701名18岁以上女性受试者，采用电话访谈法完成数据收集。研究通过因子效度、会聚效度与区分效度评估其结构效度；采用χ²/df、CFI、GFI及RMSEA指标开展验证性因子分析。通过多群组分析与克朗巴赫α系数计算内部一致性，对第二个独立样本的模型不变性进行评估。条目5与9的因子载荷未达到合格阈值，予以剔除。三维结构模型与单因子模型均具备良好拟合度。在两个独立样本中，两种模型均表现出强因子不变性（三维模型：ρλ=0.62，pCov=0.89；单因子模型：ρλ=0.81，pCov=0.68）；而在牙科修复假体使用者与非使用者之间，两种模型则呈现弱因子不变性（三维模型：ρλ=0.55，pCov=0.01；单因子模型：ρλ=0.51，pCov=0.02）。会聚效度表现欠佳，内部一致性良好。应用于本研究受试人群的GOHAI，无论采用三维结构还是单因子结构，在两个独立样本间以及牙科修复假体使用者与非使用者之间，均具备良好的信度、因子效度与稳定性。