Development and psychometric test of the myRisk mobile application for caries risk assessment

Abstract

ObjectivesTo develop a caries‐risk assessment application (myRisk app) and assess the psychometric properties based on content validity, construct validity, and how well it classifies the participants into different caries risk groups using caries increments at 10 months.MethodsThe myRisk mobile application was developed using Android Studio 4.1.1. The content validity was assessed by three dental experts. To evaluate construct validity and the prediction of future dental caries, the participants (N = 88) were recruited from Rajvithi Home for Girls in Thailand by convenience sampling. The participants were completed a caries risk assessment (CRA) of myRisk app and ADA form. The oral examination was performed at the time of CRA and 10 months following the baseline.ResultsEighty‐eight participants aged 12–29 used the myRisk app and completed the ADA form. The app content validity was acceptable (IOC = 0.67). According to myRisk, 7.9%, 71.6%, and 20.5% of the participants were classified into the low‐, moderate‐, and high‐risk groups, respectively. The percent agreement of the caries‐risk classification with the ADA form was 30.7%. Significant differences between the three risk groups were found in active caries (p < 0.001), type, and frequency of sugary snacks (p = 0.002). The app had a sensitivity of 68%, a specificity of 61%, and an area under the receiver operating characterisitic (ROC) curve of 0.61.ConclusionsThe myRisk app has acceptable content validity and sufficient diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, and ROC curve). However, there is a different outcome in caries‐risk classification compared with the ADA form.