The application of the Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) Turkish validity and reliability study in healthy children aged 6–14 years

This study aimed to adapt the Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids–Children (TOMASS-C) into Turkish, to examine its validity and reliability, and to establish age- and gender-specific normative values for assessing solid mastication and swallowing performance in healthy children aged 6–14 years. A total of 271 children (138 girls, 133 boys) from four public schools in Adana participated in the study. Oral motor examination, the Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KCPS), and the Pedi-EAT-10 questionnaire were administered. The TOMASS-C parameters of number of bites, number of swallows, and total time differed significantly across age groups (p < .05), with values decreasing as age increased. Chewing cycles did not differ significantly between age groups (p > .05). Gender comparisons showed that girls had significantly higher chewing cycles, number of swallows, and total time than boys (p < .05), while no gender difference was found in the number of bites (p > .05). Inter-rater reliability was excellent, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from .998 to 1.000. No significant association was found between chewing cycles and the /pa-ta-ka/ task (p > .05). Overall, the results indicate that TOMASS-C is an objective, reliable, and clinically applicable assessment tool sensitive to age- and gender- related differences in healthy children. The study provides normative data for Turkish children and shows that combining TOMASS-C with complementary tools such as the KCPS and Pedi-EAT-10 enables a more comprehensive evaluation of mastication and swallowing functions.