Turkish Adaptation of the Halitosis Associated Life-Quality Test (HALT-TR): Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Initial Psychometric Evaluation in Adults with Self-Perceived Halitosis

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This study translated and culturally adapted the Halitosis Associated Life-Quality Test into Turkish (HALT-TR) and conducted an initial evaluation of its measurement properties in adults with self-perceived halitosis. Methods: A total of 200 adults with self-perceived halitosis completed HALT-TR and OHIP-14 before and one week after completion of clinically indicated periodontal and/or restorative treatment. Halitosis was not objectively confirmed, and treatment types were not recorded individually. Internal consistency, dimensional structure, associations with OHIP-14, and standardized treatment-related change were examined. Exploratory PCA and CFA used the same sample. Results: All 200 participants had complete responses on both instruments at both assessments. Cronbach’s α was 0.918. PCA identified three components, but CFA showed inadequate fit (RMSEA = 0.18; CFI = 0.88). The HALT-TR–OHIP-14 correlation was absent at baseline (ρ = −0.080; p = 0.259), weak after treatment (ρ = 0.266; p < 0.001), and absent for individual changes (ρ = −0.091; p = 0.200). Mean HALT-TR scores decreased from 38.33 ± 15.42 to 9.58 ± 14.13 (SRM = 1.35). At follow-up, 40.5% had a HALT-TR total score of zero. Conclusions: HALT-TR showed high internal consistency and substantial standardized short-term treatment-related change. Structural validity and convergent validity remain insufficiently established. The total score is preliminary, and routine clinical use requires further evaluation.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Healthcare, 2026 · DOI ↗