Translation and Validation of Telugu Version of the Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children (CARIES‐QC)

Introduction The pivotal role of self‐reported measures in clinical caries data and children's oral health‐related quality of life cannot be ignored. Aim This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Telugu‐translated caries impacts and experiences questionnaire for children (CARIES‐QC/Te) among 12‐year‐old schoolchildren in Hyderabad city. Methods The forward–backward translated CARIES‐QC/Te was pilot tested in 30 children. The tested questionnaire was administered to 598 children, followed by a clinical oral examination to evaluate dental caries. Internal consistency was determined using Cronbach's α and intraclass correlation. The factor structure of CARIES‐QC/Te was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Furthermore, the questionnaire was correlated with a global rating question to assess its convergent validity. In addition, discriminant validity was evaluated based on the presence or absence of dental caries. Results The mean CARIES‐QC/Te score was 0.43 ± 0.60, and the mean caries experience for the study population was 1.8 ± 0.81. Based on the global rating question, Cronbach's α score and intraclass correlation coefficient for overall CARIES‐QC/Te were 0.934 and 0.881, respectively. The polychoric correlation matrix of the CARIES‐QC/Te questionnaire ranged from 0.424 to 0.652. The EFA results of CARIES‐QC/T suggested a one‐factor solution and explained 51.7% of the total variance. Moreover, CARIES‐QC/Te demonstrated good discriminant validity for those with and without dental caries. Conclusion The results indicate that CARIES‐QC/Te exhibits good validity and acceptable reliability and could benefit public health research in Telugu‐speaking populations.