DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SPANISH LANGUAGE QUESTIONNAIRE TO ASSESS MOTHERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES REGARDING THEIR CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to design and validate a Spanish-language questionnaire to assess mothers’ knowledge and practices regarding their children’s oral health. Material and methods: An exploratory study with a descriptive scope was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and instruments, following these phases: 1) Review of relevant scientific literature; 2) Identification of core items and development of the preliminary instrument; 3) Preliminary pilot testing with an expert panel; 4) Semantic testing of the questionnaire in the target population; 5) Assessment of the instrument’s reliability and reproducibility; 6) Validation of the instrument’s appearance and content through two rounds with subject matter experts, including the calculation of various validity indicators: Content Validity Index (CVI), Content Validity Ratio (CVR), and Content Validity Coefficient (CVC). Results: An assessment instrument was developed comprising 31 items that capture information across three dimensions: 1) psychosocial (attitudinal and relational); 2) knowledge; and 3) practices. All dimensions addressed aspects related to breastfeeding and nutrition, hygiene, and oral health within the mother–child dyad. Expert validation rounds produced CVI, CVR, and CVC values calculated for each item (I), dimension (S), and for the overall instrument (S). All scores exceeded the established thresholds (CVI ≥ 0.78/0.90; CVR ≥ 0.37/0.70; and CVC ≥ 0.90), indicating adequate content validity. Minor wording and structural adjustments were made to some questions based on expert feedback. Conclusion: This study resulted in the development of a Spanish-language assessment instrument with adequate content and face validity, which is useful for designing educational strategies targeting the mother child dyad to promote proper oral health.