Development of preference based child-centred measure of malocclusion
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identification and validation of a classification system for a malocclusion-specific preference-based measure of oral health-related quality of life
IRAS ID
331391
Contact name
Muath Alrashed
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Background: Conditions affecting oral health, including malocclusion, are highly prevalent and have consequences not only for physical and economical well-being but can also impair quality of life by affecting function, appearance, interpersonal relationships, socialising, self-esteem and psychological well-being. Malocclusion is a very common condition; thus, a range of different orthodontic procedure are available to treat malocclusion in children and adolescents. However, there have been few economic evaluations to determine the cost-effectiveness of such treatment; hence, commissioning interventions to improve children’s oral health is poorly informed. Moreover, it creates difficulties for decision-makers and commissioners in determining which interventions to provide within the remit of the NHS. This paucity of economic evaluations within child oral health research could be attributed to the lack of a suitable instrument to measure Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). Therefore, developing a validated utility measure for adolescents is recommended and potentially achievable by adapting a novel child-centred malocclusion-specific oral health-related quality of life measure MIQ (Malocclusion Impact Questionnaire). This measure was developed with the involvement of children and adolescents, addressing the primary limitation of several other measures of OHRQoL.
Aim: validate and refine the preliminary classification system for a preference-based measure specific to malocclusion.
Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews will be carried out with a purposive sample of approximately 15 adolescent aged 10-16 years with malocclusion. Interviews will be recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data will be analysed with thematic analysis using framework approach. This will enable validation of the content and further refinement of the classification system to ensure it includes the most important items with minimal information loss.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0953
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jan 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion