Validation of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) into Sinhala for Adolescents with Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVE

To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the COHIP for Sinhala-speaking adolescents aged 12 to 15 years with cleft lip and palate (CLP).

DESIGN

This mixed-methods study followed a systematic translation and cross-cultural adaptation process to ensure equivalence between the original instrument and its Sinhala version. The Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) was translated into Sinhala using a forward-backward-forward procedure conducted by a bilingual expert panel, and linguistic and conceptual equivalence was confirmed prior to piloting.

PARTICIPANTS

Three hundred forty typically developing (TD) adolescents and 45 adolescents with repaired CLP (12-15 years) completed the COHIP-S. Participants were randomly selected from 2 state schools in the western province and speech and language therapy clinics in Sri Lanka.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Child Oral Health Impact Profile-Sinhala (COHIP-S)

Results

The translation and adaptation process yielded a culturally appropriate Sinhala instrument. The COHIP-S demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including face, convergent, and discriminant validity, as well as high internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha values were 0.75 for the TD group and 0.76 for the CLP group, indicating that the instrument is suitable for use among both TD adolescents and those with CLP.

CONCLUSION

The COHIP-S is a reliable and culturally valid tool for assessing oral health-related quality of life among Sinhala-speaking adolescents, including those with CLP.