MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS OF FEARS IN DENTAL PHOBIC PATIENTS ACCORDING TO A REDUCED FSS-II SCALE

This study analyzed and assessed dimensions of a questionnaire developed to measure general fears and phobias. A previous factor analysis among 109 dental phobics had revealed a five-factor structure with 22 items and an explained total variance of 54%. The present study analyzed the same material using a multivariate statistical procedure (LISREL) to reveal structural latent variables. The LISREL analysis, based on the correlation matrix, yielded a chi-square of 216.6 with 195 degrees of freedom (P=0.138) and showed a model with seven latent variables. One was a general fear factor correlated to all 22 items. The other six factors concerned ''Illness & Death'' (5 items), ''Failures & Embanassment'' (5 items), ''Social situations'' (5 items), ''Physical injuries'' (4 items), ''Animals & Natural phenomena'' (4 items). One item (opposite sex) was included in both ''Failures & Embarrassment'' and ''Social situations''. The last factor, ''Social interaction'', combined all the items in ''Failures & Embarrassment'' and ''Social situations'' (9 items). In conclusion, this multivariate statistical analysis (LISREL) revealed and confirmed a factor structure similar to our previous study, but added two important dimensions not shown with a traditional factor analysis. This reduced FSS - II version measures general fears and phobias and may be used on a routine clinical basis as well as in dental phobia research.