Australian population norms for the Index of Dental XXXX (IDAF-4C).

@entity1 @entity148 @entity158
BACKGROUND: The Index of Dental @entity148 (IDAF-4C) is a theoretically derived test developed to allow clinicians and researchers to measure a @entity1 's level of dental fear. Population norms have not previously been made available for the IDAF-4C. The aim of this study was to provide Australian norms for the IDAF-4C using percentile ranks and to examine associations between scores and individual-level characteristics, dental avoidance and fear of @entity158 . METHODS: A stratified random sample of 1511 Australian adults yielded complete questionnaire data for 1063 individuals (70.4%). Percentile ranks were calculated for IDAF-4C full scale scores stratified by age and gender. RESULTS: IDAF-4C mean scores varied significantly by age, gender, income, and speaking a language other than English at home. Tables to convert raw scores to percentiles showed that full scale scores varied by age and gender. Scores on the IDAF-4C had strong and significant associations with avoidance of the dentist due to fear, average dental visiting frequency and @entity148 about @entity158 when going to the dentist. CONCLUSIONS: Population norms allow clinicians or researchers to compare results for an individual or subgroup to the Australian population. It is recommended that a dental fear scale be used to screen all dental @entity1 for dental fear to enable a more tailored and effective dental treatment experience.
