Large‐Scale Psychometric Analysis of the Brazilian Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS‐Braz)—A Multicenter Study

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reassess the psychometric properties of ASDS-Braz in a large, multicenter sample of Brazilian dental students, aiming to evaluate its factorial structure's robustness and applicability across diverse contexts. METHODS: Data were collected around 2 years from multiple Brazilian centers, including responses to the ASDS-Braz and demographic variables, and additional questions regarding participants' experience living with or caring for older adults, as well as their clinical course experience. Data were consolidated for large-scale validation through secondary analysis. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted, with factorability assessed using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and Bartlett's test. Principal Axis Factoring with Varimax rotation was applied, and internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Analyses were performed using SPSS v.28, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The sample included 1539 dental students from 11 schools, predominantly white (66.3%) and female (72.4%), with most having clinical experience (87.4%). The ASDS-Braz was divided into four factors, with Factors 1 and 2 showing moderate reliability (α = 0.71) given the size of the study. However, other factors and the 10-item scale did not meet the acceptability threshold. CONCLUSION: The ASDS-Braz did not exhibit satisfactory psychometric properties in a large, multicenter sample. It requires restructuring, refinement, and revalidation to ensure its suitability for national research and clinical application in Brazil.