Evaluation of the Arabic short-form version of the Family Impact Scale (FIS-8)

Background: Oral diseases can have a negative impact on both children and their families. The Family Impact Scale (FIS) is a commonly used measure to evaluate the parent/caregiver's perception of the impact of children's oral health on the family. A short-form version (the FIS-8) has been developed and translated into Arabic. Aim: To evaluate the validity and reliability of the FIS-8. Design: Cross-sectional study of a random sample of two hundred and forty-six 12 years-old Libyan schoolchildren and their parents/caregivers (in 2019). Parents/caregivers completed questionnaires while their children underwent clinical examinations for dental caries experience and gingival status. Internal consistency of the FIS-8 was assessed. For discriminant validity, overall score and subscale scores of FIS-8 were compared across categorised oral disease levels. Construct validity was tested by assessing the associations of overall score and subscale scores with global ratings of overall well-being. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using a random sample of 10% of participants. Results: The overall summary scale and subscales of FIS-8 succeeded in discriminating among ordinal categories of child dental caries experience, and a clear gradient was observed in mean FIS-8 scores across gingival status categories. There were moderate, positive correlations between the parents' and caregivers’ overall score and subscale scores and the ratings for overall well-being (r = 0.39). The overall scale showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.93). Conclusions: The Arabic version of the FIS-8 demonstrated acceptable properties and is likely to be suitable for wider use.