Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a condition-specific quality of life measure for non-surgical adolescent orthodontic patients in Singapore – Adolescent Orthodontic Impact Questionnaire (AOIQ).
Materials and Methods: Instrument content was derived through a literature review and discussion with 10 consultant orthodontists. Factor analysis established 5 domains - aesthetic, social, psychological and functional impact, and impact of orthodontic treatment. Item reduction was carried out using Cronbach’s alpha. A global rating of dissatisfaction of the appearance of one’s teeth and a self-rated Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN-AC, Brook and Shaw, 1989) were incorporated. The sample comprised of 107 adolescents, age 11-15 years, who were about to commence orthodontic treatment and within 3 months of starting orthodontic treatment. Construct validity for the AOIQ was determined by comparing associations between total and domain scores, with the dissatisfaction global rating and self-rated IOTN-AC scores. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine which variables affected patient’s OHRQoL.
Results: Significant moderate correlations were found between the global rating of dissatisfaction with the aesthetic (r=0.40) and psychological (r=0.48) domains, and total score (r=0.39), and low but significant correlations were found between expectations of braces domain (r=0.21). The IOTN-AC and the AOIQ appear to be measuring different attributes.
Conclusions: A patient based measure has been developed to assess the OHRQoL in orthodontic adolescents in Singapore. The AOIQ shows good evidence of validity and acceptable reliability. Responsiveness of the measure remains to be determined.