title: Evaluation of the Dental Hygienist Beliefs Survey; test-retest assessment in a group of general dental patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the Dental Hygienist Beliefs Survey (DHBS) and the test-retest reliability of DHBS in a group of general dental patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The DHBS, which is a questionnaire constructed to assess patients' specific attitudes towards dental hygienists (DHs), was distributed together with the Dental Anxiety Scale adapted to specifically assess fear of DH treatment (DHAS). It was hypothesized that DHBS would correlate with DHAS and gender. The questionnaires were consecutively distributed to 80 patients at their first visit and after a clinical examination performed by a DH student. Retest assessments of DHBS were conducted approximately two weeks later in conjunction with the next visit at the DH student and before treatment (scaling session). The final study sample included 77 adult general dental patients in treatment at an education clinic for DH students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results verified a statistically significant correlation between DHBS and DHAS. The DHBS sum of scores showed high internal consistency with Cronbach's a coefficient of 0.88 and 0.91 at the first and second assessments, respectively, and the test-retest reliability of the DHBS was acceptable with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.76. No statistically significant association was found between DHBS and gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the DHBS is a reliable and stable scale to use to assess patients' specific attitudes towards DHs. Moreover, DH beliefs are associated with fear of DH treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Institute of Odontology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden. kajsa.henning.abrahamsson@odontologi.gu.se
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Abrahamsson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krok
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hakeberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003756:Dental Hygienists; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult