Measurement and predictors of young adults' perceived ability to cope with dental life events

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to assess coping skills and predictors of the ability to cope with dental life events employing a 10-item rather than a 48-item rating questionnaire. A representative random sample of 1490 subjects aged 25 years from 3 Norwegian counties received a mail questionnaire in March 1997. The response rate was 62% after 1 reminder. Eight selected items from the Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire (SRRQ) plus 2 dental items were presented as graphic rating scales with the endpoints 'not difficult at all' and 'more difficult than anything'. Mean values were used to rank the life events and for comparison with findings from a previous study. Information was also collected for 16 predictor variables (Table 2). The informants found it moderately difficult to cope with losing one or more teeth and with getting dentures. A 10- and a 48-item rating scale seemed to give comparable results. In multiple logistic regression analysis, controlling for having experienced extraction during the previous 5 years, gender, and dental anxiety were significant predictors of both dental life events; education, many cavities, and belief in keeping teeth for life influenced coping with getting dentures. The identified predictors of dental life events explained <11% of the variance. In addition to extending the list of predictors of perceived need for skills to adjust to dental life events, the study also provided evidence to suggest that it may be acceptable to rely on a shorter rating questionnaire.

Socio‐economic inequality in the self‐reported number of natural teeth among Norwegian adults – an analytical study

“…Thus two thirds of the respondents claimed to have visited a dentist regularly, at least once a year, during the last 5 years, and 81% reported three or more visits during this period. Further support for this notion is provided by the fact that Norwegian adults find it relatively difficult to cope with the loss of teeth and getting dentures (40, 41). Another possible explanation for the comparatively modest impact of personal and family income on dental status may be that 65% of adults, who had visited a dentist during the last 12 months had paid 1500 NOK (∼US$ 225) or less (42), i.e.…”

Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and Dental Anxiety in Outpatients Attending Public Oral Health Clinics in South Africa

“…However, the CFSS‐SF scale, being a modification to the CFSS‐DF scale, was chosen as the measurement instrument for dental anxiety in children because it was shorter and had high reported reliability (9,14). It has been shown that shorter rating questionnaires are generally more acceptable to children (15) and that the CFSS‐SF can successfully be applied, particularly in the African situation (9).…”

Incidence and predictors of self‐reported tooth loss in a representative sample of Norwegian adults

“…First, it has been shown that over‐ and underestimation tend to balance each other out at group level (32). Secondly, Norwegian adults find it relatively difficult to cope with losing one or more teeth (24, 33), a fact that ought to enhance the reliability of these self‐report findings. Furthermore, Gilbert et al.…”

“…The questions had fixed response alternatives. Pre‐testing was deemed unnecessary because the questions were simple, pertained to issues which the public are able to answer reliably (10, 18–21), and had been used without difficulties before (22, 24).…”