title: Use of Q methodology to assess the concerns of adult female individuals seeking orthodontic treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Orthodontic treatment may cause functional restrictions, discomfort, and pain, which may lead to dental anxiety and noncooperation among patients. This study aimed to assess the concerns of adult female patients with respect to such treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an explorative study using Q methodology among 40 adult female patients with different educational and social backgrounds in Wenzhou, People's Republic of China. We asked participants to rank a set of 41 statements about seeking orthodontic treatment on an 11-point scale from "agree most" to "disagree most". The collected data were analyzed using the PQ Method 2.35 program. We extracted significant viewpoints using centroid factor extraction and varimax rotation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified major factors based on how the patients ranked statements. Patients in group 1 worried about lack of information about orthodontic treatment, and may have suffered from dental phobia; patients in group 2 were all single women, and they were worried that the braces might lower their chances of finding a partner; patients in group 3 worried about appearance and speech with braces; and patients in group 4 worried about cost, pain, and dental hygiene. The remaining participants who had other viewpoints did not load to any of these four groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concerns of adult female individuals seeking orthodontic treatment are complex. A significant feature of this study was using Q methodology to analyze the psychological characteristics of the patients. This study identified four typical characterizations that are associated with each group, and our findings may aid orthodontists in improving doctor-patient relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Linjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xingqiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Minling
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Feiou
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
keywords: Q methodology; adult female patient; orthodontic treatment