Psychometric properties of the Oral Health Assessment Tool Turkish version

Purpose: The aims of this study were to conduct validity and reliability assessments of Turkish version of Oral Health Assessment Tool. Materials and Method: The Oral Health Assessment Tool underwent forward and backward Turkish translations and content validity assessments. After modifications, the final instrument was used to assess the oral health of 100 Turkish nursing home residents. Inter-rater reliability and internal consistency assessments were obtained based on its use in this sample. Discriminant validity analyses were conducted using item average points for the top and bottom groups. Results: Content validity indices from 6 experts exceeded 0.80. Discriminative validity, using the top and bottom averaged scores, was supported for all of the categories save dental pain. Inter-rater reliability for the individual categories ranged from 0.54-1.00 (Kappa statistic) and was 0.72 (Spearman's Correlation Coefficient) for the overall instrument. Conclusion: The Turkish version of Oral Health Assessment Tool was found to be both valid and reliable for cognitively intact nursing home residents. Additional testing with cognitively-impaired nursing home residents is warranted