# Sense of Coherence: factorial structure and association with oral health - a study of Norwegian adults

## TL;DR

This study examines how a person's sense of coherence relates to their oral health in Norwegian adults.

## Contribution

The study validates the factorial structure of the Norwegian version of the SOC 13-item questionnaire and its association with oral health.

## Key findings

- A modified one-factor model of SOC showed good fit with strong factor loadings.
- Strong SOC was linked to fewer oral health issues and more positive oral attitudes.
- SOC demonstrated construct validity and is a significant contributor to oral health outcomes.

## Abstract

Assess the construct validity of Sense of Coherence (SOC) by testing a one- and a three-factor structure and associations with oral health indicators.

In all, 9000 adults were randomly selected from a national population panel of 83,000 and 1,557 completed telephone interviews. SOC was measured using the 13-item Norwegian version of the original 29-item Orientation to Life questionnaire. Oral health was assessed as oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP), periodontal symptoms and attitudes towards oral health. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using the Lavaan package in R.

Confirmatory factor analysis provided satisfactory fit to a modified one-factor model; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.940, root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.062, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.925. Factor loadings ranged from 0.360 to 0.798. Metric invariance was obtained across sexes. Adults having strong SOC were less likely to report oral impacts and periodontal symptoms, and more likely to report positive oral attitudes.

This study demonstrated construct validity of the Norwegian version of SOC 13 and that, in the presence of socio-demographic factors, SOC is an important contributor to oral health outcomes. SOC should be considered in oral health educational and promotional interventions among Norwegian adults.