title: Reliability and validity of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale for Arabic-speaking children: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early recognition of dental fear is essential for the effective delivery of dental care. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A school-based sample of 1546 children was randomly recruited. The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS was completed by children during class time. The scale was tested for internal consistency and test-retest reliability. To test criterion validity, children's behavior was assessed using the Frankl scale during dental examination, and results were compared with children's CFSS-DS scores. To test the scale's construct validity, scores on "fear of going to the dentist soon" were correlated with CFSS-DS scores. Factor analysis was also used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS showed high reliability regarding both test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation = 0.83, p < 0.001) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.88). It showed good criterion validity: children with negative behavior had significantly higher fear scores (t = 13.67, p < 0.001). It also showed moderate construct validity (Spearman's rho correlation, r = 0.53, p < 0.001). Factor analysis identified the following factors: "fear of invasive dental procedures," "fear of less invasive dental procedures" and "fear of strangers."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Arabic version of the CFSS-DS is a reliable and valid measure of dental fear in Arabic-speaking children. Pediatric dentists and researchers may use this validated version of the CFSS-DS to measure dental fear in Arabic-speaking children.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia. ahussini@hotmail.com.|Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. ahussini@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Azza A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El-Housseiny
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Farah A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Alsadat
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Najlaa M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Alamoudi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.|Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Douaa A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: El Derwi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Najat M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Farsi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Moaz H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Attar
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80209, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Basil M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Andijani
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Arabic version; CFSS-DS; Child dental fear; Reliability and validity