| Current oral-health-related quality of life measures used in orthodontics lack the specificity and thoroughly evaluate orthodontic anomalies on quality of life. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the OQoLAS11-14 , a self-report measure of the impact of orthodontic oro-facial conditions on 11- to 14-year old children. A collection of instrument items was created through a literature review and the use of a diverse expert panel, orthodontists, and adolescent patients. A sample of 203 children was used to conduct validity testing. Test-retest reliability was evaluated with a subgroup of the study population (n=58). Modest significant correlations between the OQoLAS 11-14 score and three global ratings were observed at the p<0.05 level, except with the functional limitations domain. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient for the OQoLAS 11-14 was 0.91 and 0.95 (95% CI= 0.91-0.97) respectively. The study results suggest the OQoLAS11-14 is valid and reliable. |
