title: Assessing change in the family impact of caries in young children after treatment under general anaesthesia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the properties, validity and responsiveness of the Family Impact Scale in a consecutive clinical sample of patients undergoing dental treatment under general anaesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive clinical sample of parents/caregivers of children receiving dental treatment under general anaesthesia provided data using the Family Impact Scale (FIS) component of the COHQOL(©) Questionnaire. The first questionnaire was completed before treatment, the follow-up questionnaire 1-4 weeks afterward. Treatment-associated changes in the FIS and its components were determined by comparing baseline and follow-up data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline and follow-up data were obtained for 202 and 130 participants, respectively (64.4% follow-up). All FIS items showed large relative decreases in prevalence, the greatest seen in those relating to having sleep disrupted, blaming others, being upset, the child requiring more attention, financial difficulties and having to take time off work. Factor analysis largely confirmed the underlying factor structure, with three sub-scales (parental/family, parental emotions and family conflict) identified. The parental/family and parental emotions sub-scales showed the greatest treatment-associated improvement, with large effect sizes. There was a moderate improvement in scores on the family conflict sub-scale. The overall FIS showed a large improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treating children with severe caries under general anaesthesia results in OHRQoL improvements for the family. Severe dental caries is not merely a restorative and preventive challenge for those who treat children; it has far-reaching effects on those who share the household and care for the affected child.
authors.affiliation: Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Department of Oral Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. murray.thomson@otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: William Murray
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Penelope Elizabeth
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Malden
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000523:psychology*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004644:Emotions; D005006:Ethnicity; D005192:Family Health; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000145:classification; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology