The German version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ-G11-14): translation process, reliability, and validity in the general population

The aims of this study were to develop a German version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14, a measure of oral health-related quality of life in 11–14-year-old children) and to assess the instrument’s reliability and validity in German children ages 11–14. The English original version of the CPQ11-14 questionnaire was translated into German (CPQ-G11-14) by a forward–backward translation method. Reliability was investigated in 1,061 subjects aged 11–14 years from a regional sample (Wernigerode, Saxonia-Anhalt, Germany) who were recruited during the annual dental public health examination. The subjects completed the CPQ-G11-14 and were clinically examined for the presence of dental caries, plaque accumulation, and malocclusion. In the reliability assessment, questionnaire summary score test–retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.83, 0.73–0.94) and internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha, lower limit of CI = 0.87, 0.86). Validity of the CPQ-G11-14 questionnaire was supported by correlations with global ratings of oral health and overall well-being that were moderate in magnitude and met expectations (r = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.30–0.40 and r = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.24–0.35, respectively). In conclusion, the German version of the CPQ11-14 was reliable and valid in a general population of 11–14-year-old German children.