Development of a Questionnaire for Dental Utilization Based on the Andersen Model

TL;DR

This study created a reliable questionnaire to assess factors influencing dental care use based on the Andersen model.

Contribution

A validated questionnaire for dental utilization grounded in the Andersen model was developed and tested.

Findings

The final questionnaire had 24 items with strong content validity and internal consistency.

Test-retest reliability was acceptable with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.72.

The questionnaire is suitable for identifying factors affecting dental service use.

Abstract

Background and aim

Oral health is an integral part of overall general health. Understanding the variables that affect the use of dental services can help overcome the challenges and lessen disparities in oral health. There are no significant reliable questionnaires available for determining factors that influence dental care utilization. This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire based on the Andersen model of healthcare utilization to assess these factors.

Materials and methods

A preliminary questionnaire consisting of 34 items was developed based on the Andersen model of healthcare utilization. The questionnaire’s final version consisted of 24 items after five subject area experts analyzed its face validity and content validity. Content validity ratio (CVR) was used to evaluate the validity of the questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was then used to establish the internal consistency and test-retest for the reliability of the questionnaire.

Results

The final version of the questionnaire included 24 items based on CVR, and the data of the final version suited the model well. The internal consistency measured with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was above the threshold for each item. The Cronbach’s alpha value for test-retest reliability was found to be 0.72, which was acceptable.

Conclusions

The current results show that the proposed questionnaire for dental utilization based on the Andersen model has satisfactory validity and reliability. This questionnaire can be used as an instrument to determine the various factors that affect the utilization of dental services.

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