A German version of the GOHAI.
OBJECTIVE
Translation, reliability analysis and validation of a German version of the Geriatric/General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) was the aim of this study.


METHODS
Translation was performed by a forward-backward process. Validity was assessed as convergent validity in comparison with another self-perceived assessment of oral health (OHIP-14) and as group validity (n = 218; mean age 73 years). Reliability was proved in terms of internal consistency, inter-item and item-scale correlations, and stability (test-retest procedure; n = 36; mean age 77 years). The responsiveness to change in oral health status was assessed by pre- and post-treatment comparison (n = 21; mean age 63 years).


RESULTS
A German version of the GOHAI is presented. Convergent validity was sufficient (r = -0.76 compared with OHIP-14); group validity could be demonstrated for self-perceived need for treatment, chewing problems, number of own teeth, caries lesions present and dental status. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) as were inter-item and item-scale correlations, for which good homogeneity of the index was apparent. The test-retest correlation for the summary score was r = 0.84, single item correlations ranged from r = 0.36 to r = 0.89. The GOHAI sum score increased significantly after patients received new dentures, indicating responsiveness of the GOHAI to clinical change in the expected direction.


CONCLUSIONS
The German version of the GOHAI had sufficient reliability, validity and responsiveness to be used as measure of oral health-related quality of life in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of the elderly.
Hassel
Alexander J
AJ
Poliklinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik, Heidelberg, Germany. alexander.hassel@med
Rolko
Claudia
C
Koke
Ulrich
U
Leisen
Joachim
J
Rammelsberg
Peter
P
D000368:Aged; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations