Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire in Malayalam Language (DSQ-13Mal) - An Evaluative Study

Abstract Background: Dental satisfaction is an integral part of the evaluation of the overall quality of dental care and gives valuable insights into patient experiences. It can be estimated by validated tools. Among the various questionnaires measuring dental satisfaction, the Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire-19 (DSQ-19) is recognised for covering the multi-dimensional constructs of satisfaction. Since there are no existing validated questionnaires to measure patient satisfaction with dental care in Malayalam, the local language of Kerala, there is a need to translate and validate DSQ-19. Aim: To estimate the reliability and validity of the DSQ-19 in Malayalam. Materials and Methods: A psychometric study was conducted on patients visiting two institutions: the Government Dental College in Kottayam and the Primary Health Centre in Ettumanoor, Kerala, India. The DSQ-19 questionnaire was translated into Malayalam, cross-culturally adapted, and validated in patients attending the institutions. The validation was performed on 198 patients receiving dental treatment in these institutions. Results: The translated tool (DSQ-13Mal) has good discriminant validity, with patients from the Primary Health Centre having greater satisfaction than those from the Government Dental College. The questionnaire had good test–retest reliability but questionable internal consistency. The factor structure of the original tool could not be replicated in the translated version. Conclusion: The translated tool could distinguish between patients attending different public oral healthcare institutions. However, this study indicated that those domains that are associated with satisfaction in the original setting may not be the same domains that influence satisfaction in this region.