Reliability of Malayalam version of Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index among institutionalized elderly in Alleppey, Kerala (India): A pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Oral health has a profound effect on the daily activities of geriatric group. India being a multilingual country, it is essential that instruments used to evaluate the quality of life is in local languages. However, the validation and translational aspect are important before involving a larger cohort of geriatrics.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the reliability of Malayalam version of Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI-m).


METHODS
Institutionalized elderly in Alleppey, Kerala, cross-sectional study.


METHODS
The 12 items in GOHAI were translated into Malayalam using a back-translation technique. The comprehensibility of the Malayalam version was assessed by a pilot study. Fifty institutionalized elderly answered the questionnaire. Impact based on age and marital status was also assessed.


METHODS
Independent sample t-test, Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).


RESULTS
The mean GOHAI-m scores were higher for elderly participants with slightly more impact on quality of life such as for biting or chewing food, and lower mean GOHAI-m scores indicated a positive impact on quality of life such as their self-conscious of oral health. Cronbach's alpha of 0.677 was reached with 12 items. Item 12 had a negative item-total correlation, -0.016, the deletion of Item-12 increased the item correlation to 0.7. Test-retest reliability of 0.65 for ICC indicated moderate stability. Females had more impact than males (P < 0.05). Age and marital status had no impact on their quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
The primary analysis of GOHAI-m indicated moderate stability. The elimination of negative items depends on the objectives of the study and/or after conducting a larger study keeping in view various parameters of the study.
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Srinivas Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
Kuldeep Singh
KS
Shekhawat
Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal University, Udupi, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Arunima
A
Chauhan
Dental Surgeon, Private Practitioner, Kerala, India.
Anitha Ann
AA
Koshy
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
P
P
Rekha
Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, AME Dental College and Hospital, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
Hemanth
H
Kumar
Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index; Geriatric assessment; psychometrics; quality of life; reproducibility