The PedsQL in pediatric rheumatology: reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic Core Scales and Rheumatology Module.
OBJECTIVE
The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) is a modular instrument designed to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents ages 2-18 years. The 23-item PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales are multidimensional child self-report and parent proxy-report scales developed as the generic core measure to be integrated with the PedsQL disease-specific modules. The 22-item PedsQL 3.0 Rheumatology Module was designed to measure pediatric rheumatology-specific HRQOL. This study was undertaken to demonstrate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the PedsQL 3.0 Rheumatology Module in pediatric rheumatology.


METHODS
The 4 PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales (physical, emotional, social, and school functioning) and the 5 PedsQL 3.0 Rheumatology Module scales (pain and hurt, daily activities, treatment, worry, and communication) were administered to 231 children and 244 parents (271 subjects accrued overall) recruited from a pediatric rheumatology clinic.


RESULTS
Internal consistency reliability for the PedsQL Generic Core total scale score (alpha = 0.91 for child self report, alpha = 0.93 for parent proxy report), physical health summary score (alpha = 0.87 for child self report, alpha = 0.89 for parent proxy report), and psychosocial health summary score (alpha = 0.86 for child self report, alpha = 0.90 for parent proxy report) were acceptable for group comparisons. The Rheumatology Module scales also demonstrated acceptable reliability for group comparisons (alpha = 0.75-0.86 for child self report, alpha = 0.82-0.91 for parent proxy report). Validity was demonstrated using the known-groups method. The PedsQL distinguished between healthy children and children with rheumatic diseases as a group. The responsiveness of the PedsQL was demonstrated through patient change over time as a result of clinical intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
The results demonstrate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the PedsQL 3.0 Rheumatology Module in pediatric rheumatology.
Varni
James W
JW
Center for Children's Health Outcomes, Children's Hospital and Health Center and University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 92123, USA. jvarni@chsd.org
Seid
Michael
M
Smith Knight
Tara
T
Burwinkle
Tasha
T
Brown
Joy
J
Szer
Ilona S
IS
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods*; D012917:Social Adjustment