Katarina Major Poljak

Ms. Katarina Major Poljak


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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7 February 2025 in Oral
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
IKIngrid Kovačević
Ingrid Kovačević
IBIvana Barać
Ivana Barać
KPKatarina Major Poljak
Katarina Major Poljak
SČSlavko Čandrlić
Slavko Čandrlić
Marija ČandrlićMarija Čandrlić
Marija Čandrlić
Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among patients with fixed, removable, and combined dental prosthetic restorations in Osijek, Croatia, focusing on potential variations by gender, age, and prosthetic type. Methods: This study included 313 patients treated at dental clinics within the Osijek-Baranja County Health Center. The standardized Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire, validated in Croatian (OHIP-CRO14), was used to assess the participants’ OHRQoL. Statistical analyses were conducted to explore associations between demographic factors, prosthetic types, and OHRQoL domains. Results: Psychological discomfort emerged as the domain with the lowest reported OHRQoL, whereas social disability was the least affected. Gender showed no significant association with OHRQoL outcomes. However, age influenced OHRQoL scores. Patients with fixed prosthetic restorations reported better OHRQoL in functional limitation, physical pain, and physical disability compared to those with removable or combined prosthetics. Conclusions: Patients with fixed prosthetic restorations reported better OHRQoL, particularly in functional limitation, physical pain, and physical disability domains. While no significant gender differences were observed, age significantly influenced physical disability scores, with younger participants reporting lower scores and older participants higher scores. These results emphasize the importance of prosthetic type in improving OHRQoL and guiding clinical decision-making in dental practice.

27 January 2025 in Dentistry Journal
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KPKatarina Major Poljak
Katarina Major Poljak
IBIvana Barać
Ivana Barać
IKIngrid Kovačević
Ingrid Kovačević
KRKarla Rožac
Karla Rožac
MRMeri Reili
Meri Reili
Marija ČandrlićMarija Čandrlić
Marija Čandrlić
Background/Objectives: A person’s values regarding oral health significantly shape their related behaviors and habits. Therefore, it is essential to systematically study this relationship and create reliable tools to assess perceptions of oral health values, which can inform evidence-based interventions and policy decisions. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the “Oral Health Values Scale” (OHVS) for use in the Croatian context. Methods: The process involved two key phases. First, an expert committee oversaw the translation to ensure consistency across all versions and produce a test-ready instrument. To identify any ambiguities in translation and test the instrument’s reliability, a pilot study with 40 participants was conducted. Once the expert committee confirmed content validity, the finalized OHVS was administered to a sample of 702 Croatian adults to evaluate its psychometric properties. Results: Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure in the Croatian version, differing from the original four-factor model, with items from the “Retaining Natural Teeth” subscale distributed across two factors. Results demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α > 0.78) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.976, 95% CI: 0.955–0.987, p < 0.01), confirming the instrument’s reliability. Conclusions: These results confirm the OHVS-CRO as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing oral health values, offering valuable insights into the perspectives of Croatian populations. This validation study provides a foundation for future research, supports culturally tailored interventions, and highlights the potential for the OHVS to inform oral health research and policy development both locally and globally.