The Development and Validation of the Partial Denture Experience Questionnaire (P-DEQ): Reliability and Validity

Area of Science:

• Oral health research
• Psychometric instrument development
• Patient-reported outcome measures

Background:

• Living with removable dentures presents multifaceted challenges impacting daily life.
• Existing instruments may not fully capture the complex experience of denture wearers.
• A new, condition-specific tool is needed to assess these impacts comprehensively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and preliminarily validate the Partial Denture Experience Questionnaire (P-DEQ).
• To create a reliable instrument for measuring the impacts of removable dentures.
• To assess the P-DEQ's ability to capture diverse aspects of denture experience.

Main Methods:

• A multi-phase, mixed-methods design was employed for P-DEQ development.
• Item generation was informed by qualitative interviews and the ICF framework.
• A 34-item scale with six sub-scales was tested in UK and US online panels (n=448).

Main Results:

• The P-DEQ demonstrated good to excellent reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.71–0.88).
• High correlations were observed between sub-scales and total scores, particularly for Emotional Function and Social Participation.
• Items concerning psychosocial worries and functional limitations had the highest impact, while denture benefits had lower impact.

Conclusions:

• The P-DEQ shows promising reliability and content validity for assessing denture experiences.
• The instrument is sensitive to nuanced emotional states and impacts on daily life.
• Further longitudinal testing is recommended to establish the P-DEQ as a robust measure for detecting change over time.