Further evidence for the reliability and validity of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale

G. M. Humphris (Lead / Corresponding author), R. Freeman, J. Campbell, H. Tuutti, V. D'Souza

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

161 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aim: To gain further evidence of the psychometric properties of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. Setting: Dental admission clinics. Design: Consecutive sampling, cross-sectional survey. Participants: Patients (n=800) in four cities (Belfast, Northern Ireland; Helsinki, Finland; Jyväskylä, Finland and Dubai, UAE). Methods: Questionnaire booklet handed to patients, attending clinics, for completion following an invitation by the researcher to be included in the study. Measures: Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), together with further questions concerning dental attendance and nervousness about dental procedures. Results: Overall 9.3 per cent of patients indicated high dental anxiety. MDAS showed high levels of internal consistency, and good construct validity. The relationship of dental anxiety with age was similar to previous reports and showed lowered anxiety levels in older patients. Conclusion: Data from three countries has supported the psychometric properties of this modified and brief dental anxiety scale
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)367-370
Number of pages4
JournalInternational Dental Journal
Volume50
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2000

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Further evidence for the reliability and validity of the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this