The German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile – translation and psychometric properties

TLDR

Germany increasingly recognizes the need for cross‑culturally adapted oral‑health outcome measures. The study reports developing a German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile following accepted cultural adaptation guidelines. The OHIP was translated via forward–backward method, supplemented with new German items for content validity, and validated against hypothesized associations with self‑reported oral health and five oral disorders in a general population sample. The German OHIP demonstrated construct validity, responsiveness (score drop from 45.0 to 28.3), strong test‑retest reliability (ICC 0.63–0.92), high internal consistency (α > 0.74), and sufficient discriminative and evaluative properties for use in cross‑sectional and longitudinal studies.

Abstract

The need for cross‐culturally adapted oral‐health specific health outcome measures is increasingly recognized in Germany. Following accepted cultural adaptation technique guidelines, we report the development of the German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP). The original 49 items were translated using a forward–backward method. A de novo development of German items established content validity. A priori hypothesized associations between the OHIP summary score and self‐reported oral health and five oral disorders were confirmed in a random sample of the general population ( n = 163, age 20–60 yr). These associations were interpreted as support for construct validity. The instrument's responsiveness, as indicated by a mean OHIP summary score change from 45.0 to 28.3, was established in 67 consecutive patients treated for temporomandibular disorder pain (age 19–85 yr; 72% women). Test‐retest reliability was demonstrated by intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.63–0.92 for dimensions and summary scores (convenience sample, n = 30, age 18–85 yr; 53% women). Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α > 0.74). Sufficient discriminative and evaluative psychometric properties of the Oral Health Impact Profile German version (OHIP‐G) make the instrument suitable for assessment of oral health‐related quality of life in cross‐sectional as well as longitudinal studies.