Reliability and Validity of the Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire in a Population of 23-year-olds in Norway

Objectives: The aim of this study was to confirm the internal structure, reliability and construct validity of the Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire (DSQ) in a population of young adults in Norway. Methods: The DSQ scale was mailed to a representative sample (N=968) of 23-yr-olds in two Norwegian counties. The reliability assessment of the instrument was based on internal consistency analysis (Chronbach’s alpha). A factor analysis (principal component) was used to confirm the internal structure of the scale. The construct validity of the DSQ was indicated by 1) its correlation with the patients’ beliefs regarding the way dentists deliver care, indexed by the Dental Beliefs Survey (DBS), and 2) differences in DSQ- scores between subjects who had dropped out from dental care at the age of 23-years and regular attenders. Results: The response rate was 69%. The alpha (Cronbach) coefficient for the overall construct of DSQ was 0.81 (n = 655), and 0.65 or more for the sub-scales pain management, quality and access. The correlation coefficient between the sum-scores of DSQ and DBS for the entire sample was r = - 0.69. Subjects in the dropout group had significantly lower satisfaction with dental care than the rest of the group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study generally confirms the structure of the DSQ instrument, and indicates that it is a reliable and valid instrument in cultures other than the one for which it was previously tested.