Objective:

To determine construct validity and reliability of the family APGAR scale in dental adult patients from Cartagena, Colombia.

Methods:

Scale validation study without a reference criterion in 227 patients between 22 and 94 years old whom consulted a college-based dental clinic. Family APGAR data was obtained from the family health charts. Internal consistency was calculated with the Kuder-Richardson formula and construct validity, by means of exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Fit indexes were obtained from CFA: χ2; p-value for χ2; degrees of freedom (df); root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA); comparative fit index (CFI) and Tucker-Lewis index (TLI). Data analysis was performed using Stata v.13.2 for Windows (StataCorp, TX, US) and Mplus v.7.31 for Windows (Muthén & Muthén, LA, US).

Results:

Family APGAR overall score was 17,07±3,15 and prevalence of family dysfunction was 44,4% (95% CI: 38 - 51%). Internal consistency was 0,90. EFA showed a single factor that accounted for 64,1% of the total variance. CFA showed as fit indexes: χ2=702,960; df=10, χ2 p-value=0.001; RMSEA=0.155 (90% CI: 0.107-0.209); CFI=0.961; TLI=0.922.

Conclusions:

Family APGAR in Cartagena dental adult patients seems to be a highly valuable screening instrument with excellent internal consistency but questionable construct validity. Additional studies must be conducted in order to obtain scales with adequate psychometric properties for construct measurement.