Linguistic adaptation and validation of the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) in an elderly Japanese population

Objectives: This study sought to develop a Japanese version of the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and validate its use in an elderly Japanese population. Methods: The GOHAI scale was translated in a standardized way consisting of forward translation, pilot study, and backward translation. Psychometric properties of the final version were assessed on 175 participants (mean age: 70.0 years, SD 6.4). Results: The response rate was more than 98% for each item. The reliability in terms of a Cronbach's alpha value was 0.89. The mean GOHAI scores were significantly lower for participants with poor perceived oral health (P<0.001) or poor perceived general health (P<0.01). Significant correlations were observed between the GOHAI scores and the general health or physical functioning scores of the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (P<0.01). Conclusions: The present study showed that the Japanese version of the GOHAI was psychometrically valid in an elderly sample population.