title: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory: an evaluation of its reliability and validity for children with traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the reliability and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, version 4.0 (PedsQL), and to compare it with that of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) among children with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study that documented the health-related quality of life of 391 children at 3 and 12 months postinjury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four level I pediatric trauma centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (age range, 5-15 y) hospitalized with a TBI or an extremity fracture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parent-reported PedsQL and BRIEF scale scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the PedsQL and BRIEF scales showed good internal consistency (PedsQL alpha range, .74-.93; BRIEF alpha range, .82-.98) and test-retest reliability (PedsQL r range, .75-.90; BRIEF r range, .82-.92), respectively. Factor analysis revealed that most PedsQL items loaded most highly on their conceptually derived scale. The PedsQL cognitive function scale detected the largest differences among groups of children with varying severities of TBI as well as parents' assessment of change in cognition postinjury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the reliability of the 2 instruments is comparable, the PedsQL discriminates better among children with TBI. The PedsQL is a promising instrument for measuring the health of children after TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. mmccarth@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Ellen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.forename: Dennis R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Durbin
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Paidas
authors.forename: Beth S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Slomine
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dorsch
authors.forename: Ronald A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Berk
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D015998:Abbreviated Injury Scale; D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D005121:Extremities / Q000293:injuries; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States