Validation of French-language versions of the Visual Functioning Index (VF-14) and the Cataract Symptom Score.
OBJECTIVE
To produce and validate French-language versions of the Visual Functioning Index (VF-14), the Cataract Symptom Score (CSS) and two global measures of trouble and satisfaction with vision.


METHODS
Survey by means of telephone interviews conducted 2 weeks apart.


METHODS
Ophthalmology clinic of a teaching hospital in Montreal.


METHODS
Subjects were recruited among patients with ocular media opacities, such as cataracts and corneal opacities. Of the 71 subjects recruited, 66 (41 French-speaking and 25 French- and English-speaking) completed the study.


METHODS
Visual acuity, scores on vision-related questionnaires and on the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), a measure of perceived health status.


RESULTS
The integral consistency of the French-language versions of the VF-14 and the CSS was high, with Cronbach alpha values of 0.96 and 0.82 respectively. The fidelity with regard to the English-language version, the test-retest reproducibility and the interrater agreement were high (intraclass correlation coefficients > or = 0.80). The correlation between the visual acuity of the better eye and the mean score on all four vision-related measures was statistically significant (p < or = 0.05). The VF-14 scores were also correlated with the score on five of the eight SF-36 subscales (p < or = 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that French-language versions of the VF-14, CSS and global measures of trouble and satisfaction with vision are reliable and valid.
Gresset
J
J
Unité de recherche en ophtalmologie du Centre de recherche Guy Bernier, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montreal, Que.
Boisjoly
H
H
Nguyen
T Q
TQ
Boutin
J
J
Charest
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*