Validation of the Romanian Version of the Halitosis Associated Life-Quality Test (HALT) in a Cross-Sectional Study among Young Adults

Abstract

Halitosis is a common condition with a significant impact on individuals’ quality of life. The Halitosis Associated Life-Quality Test (HALT) is a reliable instrument for measuring this impact. This study aimed to introduce and validate the Romanian translation of the HALT questionnaire (R-HALT). We hypothesized that the R-HALT would demonstrate good reliability and validity in measuring the impact of halitosis on quality of life among Romanian teenagers and young adults. Our objectives were to translate and adapt the HALT, validate it among a cross-sectional group, and evaluate the extent of halitosis in this population. A multicentric cross-sectional design followed, which was approved by the Ethics Research Committee in Romania. The translation process involved independent translations, retro-translations, expert review, and pre-testing. The psychometric properties were evaluated among 150 patients (mean age 23.6 ± 1.8; 51% males) at dental clinics, including reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity, using accepted statistical measures such as Cronbach’s alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). The R-HALT revealed strong internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.93 to 0.96, and an ICC value of 0.87 (95% CI = 0.70–0.99), demonstrating excellent test–retest reliability. Mean scores of individual items ranged from 0.82 ± 0.94 (Q3) to 3.23 ± 1.15 (Q11). The corrected item–total correlation ranged from 0.30 (Q2) to 0.90 (Q19). Organoleptic test scores diagnosed 41% (62 patients) with a score of 2, with increasing severity in 9% (13 patients) with a score of 5. The R-HALT exhibited robust reliability and validity in assessing the impact of halitosis among Romanian teenagers and young adults. The questionnaire is a strong tool for understanding, diagnosing, and managing halitosis in Romania, ultimately aiming to improve the quality of life of affected individuals. Further studies with diverse populations could enhance the applicability of the R-HALT.