Validation of an instrument to measure the perception of occupational safety and health among Peruvian dentists

Dentists encounter a variety of occupational hazards in the practice of dentistry, with the potential to impact their general well-being and the quality of service provided to patients. This study aimed to validate an instrument for measuring the perception of occupational safety and health among Peruvian dentists. This was an instrumental study in which 379 Peruvian dentists participated. The instrument on the perception of occupational safety and health in dentists was adapted and validated using the NTP 182 (Self-assessment survey of working conditions) as a reference. Content validity was assessed by means of the Aiken V. The internal structure was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA), principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The internal consistency of the instrument was assessed with Cronbach's alpha. The content analysis by expert judges supports the representativeness of the items related to the construct. Four dimensions were established by means of the EFA, PCA and CFA: work demands and well-being, ergonomics and physical conditions of the environment, safety and risk prevention, and working conditions and worker protection. Regarding the AFC, adequate fit indices were evidenced: Chi-square (χ²) = 321.071, degrees of freedom (df) = 206, χ²/df = 1.559 (p < 0.001), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.047, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.974, Tucker and Lewis index (TLI) = 0.963, weighted root mean square residual (WRMR) = 0.045 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.038. Furthermore, the internal consistency of the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha was very good (α = 0.846). The simplified questionnaire to assess dentists' perceptions of occupational safety and health has been demonstrated to be both valid and reliable. Its utilization for research purposes is recommended, with a focus on the following four dimensions: work demands and well-being, ergonomics and physical conditions of the environment, safety and risk prevention, and working conditions and worker protection. To ensure the validity of the findings, it is advised that the questionnaire be administered to a larger sample in a range of social and geographical contexts.