Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the child perceptions questionnaire for 8–10-year-old children

PURPOSE: To develop an Arabic version of the CPQ(8–10) and test its validity and reliability for use among Arabic-speaking children. METHODS: The 25-item professionally translated questionnaire included two global rating questions across four domains, which was assessed through a pilot study on 20 participants who were not included in the main study. Children (n = 175) aged 8–10 years were consecutively recruited: group I (n = 120) included pediatric dental patients, group II (n = 25) included children with orofacial clefts, and group III (n = 30) included orthodontic patients. Construct (convergent and discriminant) validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and intraclass correlation coefficient, respectively. All children were clinically examined; 66 children completed the questionnaire a second time. A cross-sectional study design was employed. RESULTS: CPQ(8–10) scores and global ratings were positively correlated. CPQ(8–10) scores were highest in group II, followed by groups I and III, respectively. CPQ(8–10) scores were significantly higher in children affected with caries or malocclusion compared to unaffected children. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.95 and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.97. CONCLUSIONS: The Arabic CPQ(8–10) was valid and reliable; therefore, it can be utilized with Arabic-speaking children in this age group.