Supporting data for "Novel scale development for masticatory function assessment to aid screening, diagnosis and evaluation in orthodontics"

<p dir="ltr">This dataset supports the PhD project “Novel scale development for masticatory function assessment to aid screening, diagnosis and evaluation in orthodontics.” It documents the end‑to‑end development and validation of a new patient‑reported measure designed to assess masticatory function in orthodontic settings, with the ultimate aim of improving screening, diagnosis, and evaluation of treatment outcomes. The target participants for the research are orthodontic patients, with input from clinical experts to ensure clinical relevance and clarity.</p><p dir="ltr">Scale development followed established psychometric procedures across multiple phases. In the qualitative phase for item generation, 38 orthodontic patients and 15 experts contributed in-depth perspectives to capture lived experiences and expert observations of masticatory function. Content validity was then evaluated by 7 patients and 6 experts, who rated item relevance, clarity, and comprehensiveness to refine the item pool. For structural evaluation and item reduction via factor analysis, responses were collected from 263 subjects. Finally, construct validity was examined through hypothesis testing with 44 subjects to assess expected relationships and known‑groups differences.</p><p dir="ltr">Please consult the included README for variable descriptions.</p>