A Reliability and Validity of the RMS Pictorial Scale in Comparison with Facial Image Scale and Venham Picture Test for Assessment of Child Anxiety

Measurement of child anxiety during dental treatment is a challenge during the procedure. Several questionnaires have been developed to assess child anxiety, some of which are pictorial to facilitate their application in children. The aim of the current study was to evaluate validity of new RMS pictorial questionnaire and to compare it with previous scales, including Venham Picture Test (VPT) and Facial Image Scale (FIS), to assess child dental anxiety during their first visit in a dental office.
This cross-sectional study was performed on 10 children in Shiraz in 2016, who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The children's anxiety was evaluated by RMS-PS, VPT and FIS questionnaires. To assess reliability, questionnaires were given to the children at a two-week interval. Data were analyzed with t-test and regression correlation test (α = 0.05).
Age and gender had no effect on children's anxiety, but in the presence of preoperative pain, anxiety was significantly higher. RMS had a moderate (r = 0.622) and significant (p value The results showed that RMS questionnaire is not reliable. However, it was valid compared to FIS and VPT questionnaires. Therefore, RMS can be used to indicate child dental anxiety as a proper tool.