title: Evaluation of a Russian version of the oral health literacy instrument (OHLI).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral health literacy has become a popular research area in the last decade; however, to date no health literacy instruments in the Russian language exist. The objectives of this study were to develop a Russian version of the Oral Health Literacy Instrument (OHLI) and to examine its reliability and validity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of patients who visited the dental division of the district hospital in Belarus was used in the study. The OHLI, created originally in English, was modified to adapt it to characteristics of routine dental services in Belarus and then translated into Russian, followed by back-translation. Participants completed a self-administered socio-demographic questionnaire, an oral health knowledge test and the Russian version of the OHLI (R-OHLI). Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses, including multiple regression modeling, were performed to examine reliability and validity of the R-OHLI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were 281 adult patients aged from 18 to 60 years, with a mean age of 33.1 ± 12.2; 64.1% of them were women. Cronbach's alpha values for the two sections (reading comprehension and numeracy) and the total R-OHLI were 0.853, 0.815 and 0.895, respectively. The mean total R-OHLI score was 77.2 ± 14.5; the mean reading comprehension and numeracy scores were 39.5 ± 7.5 and 37.8 ± 8.8, respectively. The R-OHLI was significantly correlated to the oral health knowledge test. Pearson's correlation coefficients between the oral health knowledge test and the reading comprehension, numeracy and total R-OHLI were 0.401, 0.258, and 0.363, respectively (p < 0.001). Women, participants with a university degree, and those who visited a dentist at least once a year had significantly (p < 0.05) higher mean scores for each section (reading comprehension, numeracy) and for total R-OHLI compared to their counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The R-OHLI showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. It was significantly associated with the oral health knowledge test, socio-demographic and behavioral factors. Therefore, the R-OHLI was proved to be a reliable and valid oral health literacy instrument for Russian-speaking people.
authors.forename: Anastasiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blizniuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Health Promotion, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. ueno.ohp@tmd.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D032882:Comprehension; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D002094:Republic of Belarus; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating; D055815:Young Adult