Facial Anthropometric Norms among Kosovo - Albanian Adults.

BACKGROUND: The development of an anthropometric craniofacial database is a necessary multidisciplinary proposal. AIM: The aim of this study was to establish facial anthropometric norms and to investigate into sexual dimorphism in facial variables among Kosovo Albanian adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample included 204 students of Dental School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pristina. Using direct anthropometry, a series of 8 standard facial measurements was taken on each subject with digital caliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm (Boss, Hamburg-Germany). The normative data and percentile rankings were calculated. Gender differences in facial variables were analyzed using t- test for independent samples (p<0.05). The index of sexual dimorphism (ISD) and percentage of sexual dimorphism were calculated for each facial measurement. RESULTS N: ormative data for all facial anthropometric measurements in males were higher than in females. Male average norms compared with the female average norms differed significantly from each other (p>0.05).The highest index of sexual dimorphism (ISD) was found for the lower facial height 1.120, for which the highest percentage of sexual dimorphism, 12.01%., was also found. The lowest ISD was found for intercanthal width, 1.022, accompanied with the lowest percentage of sexual dimorphism, 2.23%. CONCLUSION: The obtained results have established the facial anthropometric norms among Kosovo Albanian adults. Sexual dimorphism has been confirmed for each facial measurement.

Sexual dimorphism in permanent maxillary central incisor in Kosovo: Albanian population / Dimorfismo sexual en los incisivos centrales superiores permanentes en una población albanesa de Kosovo

The aim of this study was to investigate the sexual dimorphism in permanent maxillary central incisor in Kosovo Albanian population using crown linear diameters, crown module (CM) and crown index (CI). The study sample consisted of 204 dental students, selected from the Dental School, Faculty of Medicine at University of Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo. The measurements of mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) crown diameters of left and right permanent maxillary incisor (MCI) were taken in a dental casts using electronic digital caliper Boss, Hamburg ­ Germany, with accuracy± 0.01 mm. The descriptive statistics, t-test and percentage of sexual dimorphism in crown linear diameters and dental indexes of maxillary central incisor were calculated. The results showed a statistically significant difference in MD (p<0.01) and BL diameters (p<0.0001) of maxillary central incisor between males and females. BL diameter of maxillary central incisor showed greater sexual dimorphism (4.78 %) than mesiodistal diameter (2.76 %). CM presented with a higher level of sexual dimorphism (3.76 %) comparing to CI (1.89 %). The findings of this study demonstrated sexual dental dimorphism in crown linear diameters and dental indexes in maxillary central incisor in Kosovo-Albanian population.

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar el dimorfismo sexual en el diente incisivo central superior permanente en una población albanesa de Kosovo utilizando diámetros lineales de las copas, módulo de corona (MC) y el índice de la corona (IC). La muestra del estudio consistió en 204 estudiantes de odontología, seleccionados de la Escuela de Odontología, Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Pristina, República de Kosovo. Se tomaron mediciones mesiodistales (MD) y diámetros bucolinguales (BL) de la corona de los dientes incisivos superiores permanentes izquierdo y derecho, en modelos dentales, utilizando un calibrador digital electrónico Boss (Hamburgo ­ Alemania) con una precisión de ± 0,01 mm. Se calculó la estadística descriptiva, t-test y porcentaje de dimorfismo sexual en los diámetros lineales de coronas dentales y los índices del diente incisivo central superior. Los resultados mostraron una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en MD (p <0,01) y diámetros BL (p <0,0001) del diente incisivo central superior entre hombres y mujeres. Se observó un mayor dimorfismo sexual (4,78 %) en el diámetro BL del diente incisivo central superior, que en el diámetro mesiodistal (2,76 %). El MC presentó un nivel mayor de dimorfismo sexual (3,76 %) en comparación con IC (1,89 %). Los resultados de este estudio demostraron la existencia de dimorfismo sexual en los diámetros lineales de la corona dental y de los índices dentales correspondientes al diente incisivo central superior en la población albanesa de Kosovo.

Psychometric properties of the Albanian version of chewing-function questionnaire CFQ-ALB.

BACKGROUND: The new Chewing Function Questionnaire (CFQ) was lately developed in Croatia to measure the chewing ability in prosthodontic patients, as a one-dimensional instrument consisting of 10-items. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop an Albanian version of the CFQ questionnaire and to test its psychometric properties in a new typical environment among the Kosovo population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The original version of CFQ questionnaire was translated and cross-culturally adapted from the English language into Albanian in accordance with international guidelines. Its validity (construct, convergent and discriminative) and internal consistency (reliability) were tested in 205 participants. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in 61 subjects with natural teeth, and responsiveness was evaluated in 51 prosthodontic patients with treatment needs. RESULTS: Internal consistency of CFQ-ALB indicated excellent agreement, with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.974 and average inter-item correlation of 0.792. Intraclass correlation coeficinets for test-retest were found without significant differences by 95 % of confidence intervals (p > 0.05). Construct validity was supported by a single factor that accounted for 81.711 % of the variance observed. Convergent validity was supported by the association between self-reported general satisfactions with chewing and CFQ summary scores. Discriminat validity was supported as statistically significant differences were observed between pre-defined groups. Responsiveness was confirmed by the significant difference between baseline summary scores and the after treatment scores; the mean change was 15.57 (SD =2.49) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The obtained results suggest excellent psychometric properties of the CFQ-ALB questionnaire for determining chewing function in the Republic of Kosovo.

Psychometric properties of the Albanian version of the Orofacial Esthetic Scale: OES-ALB.

UNLABELLED: The aim was to adapt the Orofacial Esthetic Scale (OES) and to test psychometric properties of the Albanian language version in the cultural environment of the Republic of Kosovo. METHODS: The OES questionnaire was translated from the original English version according to the accepted techniques. The reliability (internal consistency), and validity (construct, convergent and discriminative) were tested in 169 subjects, test-retest in 61 dental students (DS), and responsiveness in 51 prosthodontic patients with treatment needs (PPTN). RESULTS: The corrected item correlation coefficients of OES-ALB ranged from 0.686 to 0.909. The inter-item correlation coefficient ranged between 0.572 and 0.919. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.961 and IIC 0.758. Test- retest was confirmed by good ICCs and by no significant differences of the OES scores through the period of 14 days without any orofacial changes (p > 0.05). Construct validity was proved by the presence of one-factor composition that assumed 79.079% of the variance. Convergent validity showed significant correlation between one general question about satisfaction with orofacial esthetics and the OES summary score, as well as between the sum of the 3 OHIP-ALB49 questions related to orofacial aesthetics and the OES summary score. Discriminative validity was confirmed with statistically significant differences between DS, prosthodontic patients without treatment need and PPTN (p < 0.01). Responsiveness was confirmed by a significant increase of OES scores after PPTN patients received new fixed partial or removable dentures (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results proved excellent psychometric properties of the OES-ALB questionnaire in the Republic of Kosovo.

Psychometric properties of the Albanian language version of the OHIP-ALB49 Questionnaire in the Republic of Kosovo.

The aim of the study was to develop and to test psychometric properties of the Albanian language version of the Oral Health Impact Questionnaire (OHIP-ALB49) in the new typical cultural context. The construct validity was tested: the convergent validity was tested on 389 subjects (general population (n = 119), removable prosthodontic patients (n = 213) and students (n = 57)), and the discriminative validity was tested in edentulous patients wearing dentures (CDWs) (n = 180) and edentulous patients having no dentures at all (n = 33). The test-retest reliability was tested on 57 subjects (27 dental students and 30 complete denture wearers), the internal consistency on 389 subjects, and the responsiveness on 33 patients with a treatment demand (complete dentures). The significant association between the OHIP summary scores and the self-reported oral health (p < 0.001) confirmed the convergent validity. The discriminative validity was confirmed by significant difference between the CDWs and the edentulous subjects without any dentures. The test-retest reliability was confirmed by high intraclass correlation coefficients and no significant differences between the two administrations (p > 0.05). The internal consistency showed high Cronbach's alpha (0.94 in general population and in prosthodontic patients, 0.96 in the student group). The responsiveness was confirmed by the statistically significant difference between the mean OHIP score at the baseline and the follow-up (p < 0.001) and by the high effect size (2.19 for the OHIP Summary Score) in the edentulous patients with a treatment demand). The psychometric properties of the OHIP-ALB49 prove that the instrument is suitable for the assessment of the Oral Health Related Quality of Life in Kosovo.