Assessment of Dentally Related Function in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment: The Dental Activities Test.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate the Dental Activities Test (DAT), a clinical tool for measuring dentally related function in cognitively impaired older adults.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study design.


METHODS
Three assisted living residences in North Carolina.


METHODS
Assisted living residents with normal to impaired cognition aged 50 and older; not blind, deaf, or severely physically disabled; and English speaking (N = 90).


METHODS
Items for the DAT were developed based on focus group discussions, literature review, and clinical relevance. Cronbach alpha, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability were examined, and construct validity was assessed in relation to correlations with cognitive and functional assessments. Correlations between the DAT and oral health measures were also analyzed to evaluate the concurrent validity of the DAT.


RESULTS
The DAT has excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha 0.90), test-retest reliability (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.84), and interrater reliability (r = 0.90). In terms of construct validity, higher DAT scores were significantly associated with better cognitive function, as well as better activity of daily living and instrumental activity of daily living function. Finally, the DAT was significantly associated with oral hygiene and gingival health.


CONCLUSIONS
The DAT is a reliable and valid instrument to measure dentally-related function in older adults with cognitive impairment.
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Xi
X
Chen
Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.|School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Sheryl
S
Zimmerman
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Guy G
GG
Potter
Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.|Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Philip D
PD
Sloane
Clinical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Lauren W
LW
Cohen
Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
David
D
Reed
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
cognitive impairment; functional assessment; oral health; oral self-care function