Validity and reliability of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 for Colombian school children

Area of Science:

• Oral health research
• Pediatric dentistry
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14) is widely used to assess children's oral health-related quality of life.
• Validating measurement tools is crucial for accurate assessment in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity and reliability of the CPQ11-14 in children aged 11-14 years attending public schools in Floridablanca, Colombia.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the CPQ11-14 using modern statistical methods.

Main Methods:

• A diagnostic technology evaluation study was conducted with 500 students.
• Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha; test-retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
• Rasch Rating Scale Model analysis was performed to assess item fit, category structure, and unidimensionality, including differential item functioning (DIF) analysis.

Main Results:

• The CPQ11-14 exhibited excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91).
• Test-retest reliability was unsatisfactory (ICC = 0.63).
• While 37 items fit the Rasch model, the questionnaire was not unidimensional (26.3% variance explained), and one item showed uniform DIF.

Conclusions:

• The CPQ11-14 demonstrates strong internal consistency but lacks adequate test-retest reproducibility in this Colombian sample.
• The lack of unidimensionality and item fit to the Rasch model suggest limitations in the questionnaire's measurement properties for this population.
• Further research may be needed to refine the CPQ11-14 or explore alternative measures for assessing pediatric oral health quality of life in this context.