Development of the Turkish version of the oral health assessment tool: Methodological study

Aim: This research aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the "Oral Health Assessment Tool for the Elderly" Turkish form. Methods: A total of 262 elderly individuals > 65 years of age were included in the study. These individuals were selected from community-dwelling elderly and nursing home residents in the Konya province of Turkey. A data form containing sociodemographic information and oral health behavior was used to collect the data. In addition, the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index and the Oral Health Assessment Tool for the Elderly were used. To create the Turkish version of the tool, the form was translated and back-translated for content validity. Expert opinion was obtained for criterion validity. Last, confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis were performed to evaluate construct validity. Test-retest reliability, interobserver reliability, and Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients were calculated. Results: The Tool Turkish form consisted of 10 items and two factors. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was 0.86. The total variance explained by the items was 60.19%, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.95. The content validity index was 0.90, and Kendall's coefficient of concordance was 0.97. The correlation coefficient between the scales is 0.719. The mean Oral Health Assessment Tool for the Elderly score obtained by the participants was 5.4 +/- 4.32 (median 5, min-max: 0-17). Conclusion: The Turkish version of the tool is a valid and reliable tool to assess oral health in community-dwelling elderly individuals and those living in nursing homes.