September 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the psychometric properties of different forms of the Child Perceptions Questionnaires (CPQ11-14) for use in Thai adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire and clinical analytical study conducted at 2 schools in Chonburi province, Thailand. Clinical data were collected for 95 students (64 female, 31 male) aged 11-14 years. Data from the Thai version of CPQ11-14 were used to analyze the measurement properties of the original and 4 short forms of the CPQ11-14. Results: Participants found it difficult to remember that they should assess the impact only in relation to the problems of their teeth, lips, mouth or jaws. The Thai versions of the CPQ11-14 have satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability except for the CPQ11-14- ISF:8. The criterion validity of all versions was acceptable except for the CPQ11-14- RSF:8. No CPQ11-14 scores correlated with clinical status, otherwise construct validity was acceptable for the original CPQ11-14 and the 16-item questionnaires. Conclusion: The original scale of the CPQ11-14 indicates the highest validity and reliability among the 5 forms of the CPQ11-14 but has weak relations with clinical data. If it is to be used in low disease populations larger samples will be required. The 16-item questionnaires show some acceptable validity and reliability properties. The findings for the 8-item versions do not support their use in Thailand. Key words: children, oral health related quality of life, Child Perceptions Questionnaire