Validation of the Japanese version of the Quality of Life-Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults (QoL-AGHDA).
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Quality of Life-Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults (QoL-AGHDA).


METHODS
Observational study; cross-sectional, longitudinal.


METHODS
Seventy-five adults with growth hormone deficiency completed the SF-36 (a generic health-related QOL scale) and the QoL-AGHDA before growth hormone replacement therapy and approximately 3 weeks later (when the therapy began). A sample (n=1000) of controls from the general population was also studied. We computed rates of missing data, measured reproducibility and internal consistency reliability, and tested for known-groups validity, concurrent validity, unidimensionality (by principle component analysis), and content validity.


RESULTS
Rates of missing data were low (0-1.4%). The mean of QoL-AGHDA scores in the patients was 8.2 (SD, 6.4). The scores were reproducible (k=0.41-0.78), and internally consistent (alpha=0.91) and the scale was unidimensional. QoL-AGHDA scores were associated with SF-36 scores as hypothesized. Scores were significantly higher in the patients than in controls (8.1+/-0.7, and 5.6+/-0.2, P<0.001). Discrimination between patients and controls was slightly better using scores on the "General Health" and "Role Physical" subscale of the SF-36 as explanatory variables than using QoL-AGHDA scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The QoL-AGHDA's reliability, validity, and rates of missing data were satisfactory, and the scale was confirmed to be unidimensional. However, because some subscales of the SF-36 were better for discriminating patients from controls, the content validity of the QoL-AGHDA may need to be re-evaluated.
Suzukamo
Yoshimi
Y
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan. suzukamo@mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp
Noguchi
Hiroyuki
H
Takahashi
Natsuko
N
Shimatsu
Akira
A
Chihara
Kazuo
K
Green
Joseph
J
Fukuhara
Shunichi
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007802:Language; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone