Validity and Reliability of the Vietnamese Version of the Dental Fear Survey

The use of questionnaires to assess patients' dental fear is critical to dental research and practice. As one of the most well-established tools in this field, the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) was translated into Vietnamese (V-DFS) and employed in previous studies. However, its validity and reliability have not been reported. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of V-DFS in adults.

The DFS was translated to Vietnamese in accordance with the "Guideline for the Process of Cross-cultural Adaptation of Self-reported Measures" to create the V-DFS. Next, 414 students at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine completed the V-DFS to examine its validity and reliability. The factorial validity of V-DFS was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the V-DFS were assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient (r_s).

The rotated component matrix of the EFA revealed 3 factors: specific stimuli, anticipatory fear and avoidance, and physiologic arousal. The statistical indices of the best-fitting V-DFS model in SEM analysis satisfied the cutoff values. Cronbach's α ranged from .82 to .94 for the 3 factors. The ICC and r_s of the whole questionnaire were .86 and .86, respectively.

DFS was successfully translated into Vietnamese with good validity and reliability. Further research should be conducted to examine its validity in various populations and to improve its characteristics.