Concurrent Validity of the Modified Oral Status Survey Tool

The Modified Oral Status Survey Tool (MOSST) is a novel instrument designed to assess oral health and function in older adults for whom traditional dental indices are unsuitable. Originally developed for older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), its reliability and content validity are established, but its concurrent validity against clinical standards is unclear.

This study aimed to assess the concurrent validity of the MOSST by comparing its scores with established clinical indices for caries, gingival inflammation, and oral cleanliness in older adults with ID.

A validation study was conducted within Wave 6 of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA). Dentate older adults with ID (n = 45; age range [40-70 years]) were assessed by a calibrated dentist using MOSST, the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), the Modified Gingival Index (MGI), and the Plaque Index (PI). Agreement between MOSST items and clinical indices was analysed using Cohen's kappa and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients.

Data from 45 participants were analysed. The MOSST demonstrated perfect agreement with ICDAS-merged stage for extensive caries lesion (κ = 1.00), the MGI for gingival inflammation (κ = 1.00), and the PI for oral cleanliness (κ = 1.00). Spearman's correlations were also perfect (p = 1.00) across all domains with no significant difference between MOSST and indices identified.

MOSST demonstrates excellent concurrent validity with gold-standard clinical measures. Its accurate identification of cavitated caries, gingival inflammation, and plaque accumulation supports its use as a practical, non-dental tool for oral health assessment and research in older adults where traditional dental methods are inappropriate.