Confirming the factor structure of modified CFSS-DS in Finnish children at different ages

The aims were to determine whether means of different fear-related items were similar in 1998 and 2001 and to find a common factor structure of the modified CFSS-DS for children at different ages.

Independent random samples of 6-, 9-, 12- and 15-year olds were drawn in two cities in 1998 and 2001 (n = 180 per age group from each city). The study group in 2001 comprised 282, 265, 281 and 234 subjects aged 6, 9, 12 and 15 years, respectively. Each child received a modified CFSS-DS form to be filled out at home. Mean scores of different fear-related items were reported for each age group for both data sets. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to test whether the three factor structures revealed for 6-, 9- and 12-15-year olds in 1998 fitted the 2001 data. Multiple group CFA was used to test for the equivalence of the factorial structure across age groups (configural invariance).

The age-specific patterns of the means for individual fear-related items in 2001 corresponded to the mean values for 1998. When age-specific factor structures were tested separately for each age group, the factor structure for 9-year-olds was, in general, the best-fitting overall structure. The factor structure had a good fit for all age groups, but the loadings differed at different ages.

The modified CFSS-DS provides consistent factor structures for children at different ages and reflects the changes in manifestations of dental fear during growth.