Validity and reliability of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire in Kosovar adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To test the validity and reliability of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ)-Albanian version in Kosovar adolescents and assess gender-based differences of malocclusion on PIDAQ subscales.

METHODS

A sample of 200 adolescents aged 12-15 years were evaluated for orthodontic treatment need by a previous calibrated dental examiner, using the aesthetic component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need-Aesthetic Concern (IOTN-AC) and the dental aesthetic index (DAI). Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, discriminant validity and gender-based impact of malocclusion on psychosocial impact was assessed.

RESULTS

The Albanian version of the PIDAQ shows satisfactory internal consistency (α ranging from 0.73 to 0.90) with high test-retest reliability (r > 0.83). The discriminant validity revealed that subjects with minor and severe malocclusion according to dichotomous DAI categorization had different PIDAQ scores. No significant gender-based differences were noted on the impact of malocclusion on psychological and social aspect or Dental Self-confidence (DSC); however, significant gender-based difference was noted on the impact of malocclusion on AC.

CONCLUSION

The Albanian version of the PIDAQ demonstrated good psychometric properties and applicability to this age group in Kosova.