title: Quality of life in patients with subjective food hypersensitivity: applicability of the 10-item short form of the Nepean Dyspepsia Index.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate quality of life and applicability of the 10-item short form of the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (SF-NDI) in patients with subjective food hypersensitivity. Fifty-two adult patients and 120 controls were examined using three questionnaires: Quality of life Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI), Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), and Ulcer Esophagitis Subjective Symptoms Scale (UESS). To document psychometric properties, 20 of the patients filled in the SF-NDI questionnaire once more 4 weeks later. Patients had poor quality of life compared with controls from health care workers or general population (P < 0.001). Scores on SF-NDI were significantly correlated with scores on the GSRS (r = 0.34, P = 0.02) and UESS (r = 0.41, P = 0.003). The SF-NDI performed very satisfactorily, with a high reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness. Patients with subjective food hypersensitivity have considerably reduced quality of life. The SF-NDI provides reliable, responsive, and clinically valid measures of quality of life in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Institute of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. gulen.arslan@med.uib.no
authors.forename: Gülen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Ragna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: Snorri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olafsson
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Florvaag
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berstad
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires