Validation of the Arabic Version of the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire

The OQLQ is the most widely used orthognathic patient-reported outcome measure, but an officially translated and validated Arabic version has not been available; prior Arabic use has been informal and untested. This study provides the first cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation (OQLQ-Ar) in Saudi adults.

Following international cross-cultural adaptation guidelines, the OQLQ underwent independent forward translation, back translation, and expert panel reconciliation. In a prospective, single-center cohort, patients self-administered the Arabic OQLQ (n = 74, 28 males, 46 females, aged 30 ± 4.6) at five treatment stages (pre-treatment, post-orthodontics, 1-week post-surgery, debonding, 1-year retention). Test–retest reliability was examined in 15 clinically stable participants who repeated the questionnaire after a 2-week interval. Responsiveness was assessed in a longitudinal subsample of 12 patients evaluated before and after surgery. Construct validity was explored through correlations with a visual-analogue scale (VAS) for overall satisfaction with facial appearance and surgery.

Cronbach’s α for the total scale was 0.92, indicating excellent internal consistency. Test–retest Spearman correlations (r) ranged from 0.60 (awareness of dentofacial aesthetics) to 0.88 (oral function), meeting the ≥0.70 reliability benchmark in three of four domains. Construct validity was supported by a weak-to-moderate positive correlation between total OQLQ score and VAS satisfaction (r = 0.34; p < 0.05). Statistically significant improvements were observed in the total score after surgery and the facial-aesthetics domain (median change = −24 points; p < 0.001).

Psychometric performance of the Arabic OQLQ was strong: internal consistency was excellent, and domain test–retest was acceptable in most scales, though awareness was lower. Expected post-surgical improvement—greatest in facial aesthetics—demonstrates responsiveness, and correlations with VAS satisfaction support construct validity. These findings extend OQLQ evidence to Arabic-speaking adults with dentofacial deformity and justify broader validation work.

The cross-culturally adapted Arabic OQLQ shows sufficient preliminary measurement support for use in research and exploratory outcome tracking in orthognathic care. Larger multi-center studies should confirm factor structure, test longitudinal invariance, and evaluate integration with clinical severity indices (e.g., IOFTN) before widespread clinical adoption.