Table 1.
Correlations of Scales (5 Items in Each) With Clinical Variables, Scale Internal Consistency Reliability, and Variance Explained by Each Scale, Among Participants in the Veterans Health Study and the Dental Longitudinal Study, 1993–1995 (N = 827)a
| Scale | No. of Teeth (P) | Coronal Cariesb (P) | Periodontal Statusc (P) | Root Cariesd (P) | Cronbach α | Variance Explained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impairment | −0.02e (0.55) | 0.18 (<.001) | 0.19 (<.001) | 0.13 (.004) | 0.78 | 0.91 |
| Physical | −0.38 (<.001) | 0.10 (.011) | 0.21 (<.001) | 0.14 (.002) | 0.81 | 0.94 |
| Distress | −0.16 (<.001) | 0.11 (.005) | 0.14 (.002) | 0.08e (.11) | 0.92 | 0.97 |
| Worry | −0.14 (<.001) | 0.23 (<.001) | 0.21 (<.001) | 0.15 (.001) | 0.84 | 0.93 |
| Role | −0.19 (<.001) | 0.08 (.02) | 0.16 (<.001) | 0.08e (.11) | 0.86 | 0.96 |
| Denture | −0.57 (<.001) | −0.09 (.01) | 0.09e (.06) | 0.09e (.05) | NA | NA |
| Summary scale | −0.21 (<.001) | 0.16 (<.001) | 0.21 (<.001) | 0.13 (.01) | NA | NA |
NA indicates not applicable.
a
Pearson correlation coefficients were used to obtain means. Higher oral quality of life scores represent poorer quality of life.
b
Coronal caries indicates coronal decayed surfaces at level 2 or greater.
c
Periodontal status indicates per person mean Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) score of available sextants.
d
Root caries indicates mean percentage of exposed root surfaces with unfilled decay.
e
Correlations are not statistically significant.