Development and psychometric evaluation of the dental care attitudes scale (DCAS).

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study describes the development and assessment of the reliability and validity of the Dental Care Attitudes Scale (DCAS), a new instrument for the measurement of attitudes towards dental care services.

Methods

Scale development employed qualitative and quantitative research methods. The initial set of items was developed from the transcripts of semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 dental patients. The psychometric properties of the DCAS were refined using an initial sample of 132 adults, and then a second sample of 744 participants (non-clinical sample of adults, dental students, and dentists). The five-factor structure was confirmed via CFA in the adult non-clinical sample (n = 527). Reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha values. Validity was a

SUBMITTER: Lukacs M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12288335 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature