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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Development of the Oral Care Attitude Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study
Asena Köse1, Gülay İpek Çoban1
1Fundamentals of Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
International Journal of Dental Hygiene
|July 16, 2026
Summary
This study developed a valid and reliable Oral Care Attitude Scale (OCAS) to assess nurses
Area of Science:
- Nursing Research
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Patient Care Standards
Background:
- Oral care is essential for patient health but often overlooked in healthcare.
- Existing research on nurses' attitudes towards oral care is limited.
- A validated tool is needed to effectively assess nurses' attitudes toward oral care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a valid and reliable measurement tool for assessing nurses' attitudes toward oral care.
- To provide a standardized instrument for evaluating the importance and practice of oral care among nursing staff.
- To contribute to the improvement of oral care delivery in clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- A methodological study was conducted with nurses at Atatürk University Research Hospital.
- Data were collected using an 'Introductory Information Form' and the 'Oral Care Attitude Scale (OCAS)'.
- The study involved psychometric analyses including reliability and validity testing.
Main Results:
- The Oral Care Attitude Scale (OCAS) demonstrated high reliability, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.726 to 0.924 (overall 0.904).
- Exploratory factor analysis identified a 21-item, four-factor structure ('Importance of Oral Care', 'Sustainability of Oral Care', 'Effectiveness of Oral Care', 'Reluctance to Oral Care') explaining 62.487% of the variance.
- Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure with acceptable fit indices, supporting the scale's validity.
Conclusions:
- The developed 'Oral Care Attitude Scale' is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing nurses' attitudes towards oral care.
- This scale can be utilized to evaluate nurses' perspectives on oral care, potentially guiding clinical practice improvements.
- The scale is expected to enhance patient care standards and increase awareness regarding the significance of oral hygiene in healthcare settings.
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