Evaluation of short-form versions of the Child Perception Questionnaire

Objective: To compare the performance of long- and short-form versions of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) in a random population sample of 12- and 13-year-old children in Taranaki, New Zealand. Methods: Children (N = 430, participation rate 74.1%) completed the CPQ11-14. Two separate 8- and 16-item short-form versions were previously developed by Jokovic et al (2006) using (a) item impact and (b) regression methods. The four different short-form scales were compared with the 37-item CPQ11-14 with respect to their discriminant construct validity and correlational construct validity. The children were examined for malocclusion (Dental Aesthetic Index) and dental caries by a single calibrated examiner (LFP). Results: All short-form versions revealed substantial variability in overall OHRQoL. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.73 (RSF-8) to 0.86 (RSF-16). For all short-form versions, mean scores were positively associated (P<0.05) with self-rated oral health and overall well-being; associations with the latter were stronger. All short-form versions detected OHRQoL gradients as hypothesised across ascending categories of caries and malocclusion. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the short-form versions of the CPQ11-14 all show acceptable properties, but that the 16-item versions perform better (and are essentially equivalent); however, the stronger theoretical underpinning of the ISF-16 suggests that it shows the most promise. This study was supported by the NZ Dental Association Research Foundation and the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust.