Validation of a Questionnaire on COVID-19 Knowledge and Attitude for Dental Patients

Mohammad Reza  Khami; Mahsa  Karimi; Morenike  Oluwatoyin Folayan; Ahmad Reza  Shamshiri; Prathip  Phantumvanit; Armando E  Soto-Rojas; Seyed Hossein  Bassir; Heikki  Murtomaa

doi:10.18502/fid.v21i48.17251

Mohammad Reza Khami Research Center for Caries Prevention, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahsa Karimi Research Center for Caries Prevention, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Ahmad Reza Shamshiri Research Center for Caries Prevention, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Prathip Phantumvanit Faculty of Dentistry, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
Armando E Soto-Rojas Department of Public Health and Dental Informatics, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Seyed Hossein Bassir Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
Heikki Murtomaa Department of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/fid.v21i48.17251

Keywords: Attitude; Fear; Knowledge; Surveys and Questionnaires; Reproducibility of Results

Abstract

Objectives: The current study aimed to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire in both English and Persian to assess dental patients' knowledge and attitude during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Materials and Methods: Through a comprehensive literature review, we designed the primary questionnaire in English and then translated it into Persian. The questionnaire consisted of six sections covering background information, knowledge of emergency dental treatments, transmission routes of disease, required preparation, source of information, and attitude. To evaluate the validity of the questionnaire, the researchers obtained expert opinions using the Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI/Ave). They distributed online versions of the questionnaire to a total of 60 English-speaking adults in Nigeria and the United States, and 60 Persian-speaking adults in Iran to measure its reliability using Cronbach's alpha.

Results: I-CVI score, S-CVI/Ave, and Cronbach’s alpha of the questionnaire ranged from 0.29-1, 0.62-0.99, and 41.1-87.6%, respectively. After reviewing the scores and comments received on each item, taking into account the opinions of the research team, a decision was made to remove, merge, modify, or retain certain items. This led to a final version of the questionnaire consisting of nine questions in the background section and 46 items in the remaining five sections.

Conclusion: Overall, the developed questionnaire appears to be valid and reliable for assessing the knowledge and attitude of dental patients toward COVID-19 in dental settings. It can potentially serve as an appropriate scale in future infectious disease epidemics across diverse populations.