Oral health related quality of life in older people: Preliminary validation of the Greek version of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)

IntroductionThe Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) has been developed for the patient-reported assessment of oral health problems in older people. The aims of the present study were to translate the GOHAI into the Greek language, adapt the Greek version culturally, and perform a preliminary validation in an older Greek population.Materials and methodsGOHAI was translated from English into Greek by two bilingual translators and then back translated. The translated version was interviewer-administered in a sample of 100 older people. Internal consistency reliability and principal component analysis with Varimax rotation was performed. Concurrent and discriminant validity and test-retest reliability were assessed. Descriptive statistics and analysis between variables were also performed.ResultsGOHAI showed satisfying internal consistency (Cronbach's α: 0.88), while the Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed three factors requiring further investigation. The scale showed satisfying concurrent validity with significant correlations with the general single-item questions. Discriminant validity was acceptable identifying differences in relation to medical conditions and medications used.ConclusionsThe acceptable internal consistency and validity of the Greek version of the GOHAI recorded in the present study encourages its use in older people. The present translation of the GOHAI merits further validation in a larger cohort as well as in a geriatric context.