How Valid are the Psychometric Properties of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 Measure in Adult Dental Patients in Ibadan, Nigeria?

BACKGROUND The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) is the most widely used quality of life (QoL) measure to evaluate the influence of oral diseases on individuals. QoL measures have been noted to be context and environment specific, and there is a need to cross-culturally adapt a scale before its introduction into any community. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties, validity and internal consistency of the OHIP-14 measure in an adult patient population in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted over a four-month period on 204 adult patients using OHIP-14 structured questionnaire, global self-report indicator of oral conditions and perceived treatment need. Oral examinations were performed to assess periodontal status, caries experience and attachment loss. Data were analyzed using SPSS and p-value for statistical significance was set at < 0.05. RESULTS A total of 204 patients participated in the study with a mean OHIP score of 11.2 (± 9.8). OHIP scores were not related to the sociodemographic characteristics. Perception of need for treatment was greater among those who reported impacts on their QoL (89.3% vs. 14.3%, p < 0.001). The OHIP scores correlated negatively with global self rating of oral health status (rho = -0.23, p < 0.01). Higher OHIP scores were associated with having carious teeth (p = 0.023). The Cronbach's alpha for the 14 inventory items ranged from 0.857 to 0.871. CONCLUSION The OHIP-14 measure showed good psychometric properties with satisfactory validity and internal consistency in adult patients in Ibadan, Nigeria.