Development and psychometric analysis: Fluoride varnish parent attitude, belief scale

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Psychometrics
• Health Behavior Research

Background:

• Parental attitudes and beliefs significantly influence preventive oral health practices.
• Understanding these perceptions is crucial for effective public health interventions regarding fluoride varnish.
• A validated tool is needed to accurately assess parental views on fluoride varnish.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a psychometric scale to assess parents' attitudes and beliefs concerning fluoride varnish.
• To provide a reliable instrument for researchers and public health professionals.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design (2019-2021) with 810 parents.
• Scale development involved exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
• Validity assessed using discriminant and convergent methods; reliability tested with Cronbach's alpha and test-retest correlation.

Main Results:

• The developed scale demonstrated a robust three-factor structure.
• Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit (RMSEA=0.065, GFI=0.95).
• High reliability was confirmed (Cronbach's α=0.85, test-retest ICC=0.72).

Conclusions:

• The newly developed scale is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating parental attitudes and beliefs towards fluoride varnish.
• This scale is expected to contribute to public health efforts by facilitating better understanding and communication about fluoride varnish.
• The findings support the use of this scale in future research and public health programs focused on pediatric oral health.