The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults
The study aimed at examining the reliability and the validity of the Dental Indifference Scale (DIS), which measures the significant undervaluing attitude towards the state of one’s oral health. The study has a cross-sectional design in which 660 young Romanian adults (Mean<sub>age</sub>...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/6/876 |
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| author | Ruxandra Sfeatcu Beatrice Adriana Balgiu Andreea Băluță Bogdan Mihai Gălbinașu Carmen Elena Georgescu Roxana Romanița Ilici |
| author_facet | Ruxandra Sfeatcu Beatrice Adriana Balgiu Andreea Băluță Bogdan Mihai Gălbinașu Carmen Elena Georgescu Roxana Romanița Ilici |
| author_sort | Ruxandra Sfeatcu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The study aimed at examining the reliability and the validity of the Dental Indifference Scale (DIS), which measures the significant undervaluing attitude towards the state of one’s oral health. The study has a cross-sectional design in which 660 young Romanian adults (Mean<sub>age</sub> = 30.69; 30.30% males) completed an online survey in which the Dental Indifference Scale was included alongside five items related to one’s behavior towards oral health. The reliability was calculated by means of internal consistency and test-retest after two or three weeks. The DIS scores were associated with the questions regarding oral health habits. Although DIS is discriminatory regarding the behavior towards oral hygiene (brushing, flossing) and diet, the reliability of the scale is low (α = 0.37; ω = 0.39; Intraclass correlation coefficient<sub>test-retest</sub> = 0.60). In comparison with prior research, no gender differences were found. In exchange, the scores for dental indifference (DI) are significantly different when it comes to comparing people with secondary education and people who are university graduates. The study shows that DIS needs to be used with caution and only with other instruments that evaluate attitudes and behaviors related to oral health which passed the test of validation in various cultural models, the Romanian one included. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:29:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-693ebdae2f08400b8eeba681a4ecd70c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:29:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-693ebdae2f08400b8eeba681a4ecd70c2023-11-17T11:21:34ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-03-0111687610.3390/healthcare11060876The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young AdultsRuxandra Sfeatcu0Beatrice Adriana Balgiu1Andreea Băluță2Bogdan Mihai Gălbinașu3Carmen Elena Georgescu4Roxana Romanița Ilici5Department of Oral Health and Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Career and Educational Training, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independenţei, 060042 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Esthetics in Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Teeth and Dental Arches Morphology and Dental Materials, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Teeth and Dental Arches Morphology and Dental Materials, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Teeth and Dental Arches Morphology and Dental Materials, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-21 Calea Plevnei Street, 010221 Bucharest, RomaniaThe study aimed at examining the reliability and the validity of the Dental Indifference Scale (DIS), which measures the significant undervaluing attitude towards the state of one’s oral health. The study has a cross-sectional design in which 660 young Romanian adults (Mean<sub>age</sub> = 30.69; 30.30% males) completed an online survey in which the Dental Indifference Scale was included alongside five items related to one’s behavior towards oral health. The reliability was calculated by means of internal consistency and test-retest after two or three weeks. The DIS scores were associated with the questions regarding oral health habits. Although DIS is discriminatory regarding the behavior towards oral hygiene (brushing, flossing) and diet, the reliability of the scale is low (α = 0.37; ω = 0.39; Intraclass correlation coefficient<sub>test-retest</sub> = 0.60). In comparison with prior research, no gender differences were found. In exchange, the scores for dental indifference (DI) are significantly different when it comes to comparing people with secondary education and people who are university graduates. The study shows that DIS needs to be used with caution and only with other instruments that evaluate attitudes and behaviors related to oral health which passed the test of validation in various cultural models, the Romanian one included.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/6/876dental indifferencereliabilityvalidityoral health |
| spellingShingle | Ruxandra Sfeatcu Beatrice Adriana Balgiu Andreea Băluță Bogdan Mihai Gălbinașu Carmen Elena Georgescu Roxana Romanița Ilici The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults Healthcare dental indifference reliability validity oral health |
| title | The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults |
| title_full | The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults |
| title_fullStr | The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults |
| title_short | The Reliability and Validity of Dental Indifference Scale among Romanian Young Adults |
| title_sort | reliability and validity of dental indifference scale among romanian young adults |
| topic | dental indifference reliability validity oral health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/6/876 |
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