EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY CONTENTS.

Vol. 10 No. 3      September 2009

ISSN: 1591-996X      UBIC: 116-O

ABSTRACT: Aim Evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Family Impact Scale (FIS). Methods: Following translation and cross-cultural adaptation, the FIS was tested on 123 parents-caregivers of children between 11 and 14 years of age with dental caries and malocclusions. The parents were recruited from the Paediatric Dental and Orthodontic clinics where their children were receiving dental care. Psychometric properties were assessed through internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity and discriminant validity. Results: The mean FIS score was 6.97 (SD 7.81) for the dental caries group and 7.25 (SD 7.70) for the malocclusion group. The FIS score was unable to discriminate different family impact caused by children's oral health conditions. Internal consistency was confirmed by a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.79. Test-retest reliability revealed good reproducibility (ICC 0.83). Construct validity was good, demonstrating highly significant correlations between parent's perceptions regarding the overall wellbeing indicator for their children and the total FIS and subscales. Financial burden demonstrated no significant correlation with global indicators. Conclusions: Overall psychometric results for the Brazilian version of the FIS confirm it as a reliable, valid questionnaire for assessing the family impact caused by children's oral conditions. KEYWORDS: Child; Family; Quality of life; Reliability; Validity.

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