title: The development and validation of the Epilepsy and Learning Disabilities Quality of Life (ELDQOL) scale.
abstract: Few suitable instruments exist for use with people, especially children, with both epilepsy and learning disabilities. One such measure is the Epilepsy and Learning Disabilities Quality of Life scale (ELDQOL), which has recently undergone revision following feedback from relevant users. This article reports on the final psychometric testing phase of this scale. ELDQOL consists of 70 items covering seizure severity, seizure-related injuries, antiepileptic drug side effects, behavior, mood, physical, cognitive, and social functioning, parental concern, communication, overall quality of life, and overall health. Revalidation involved a qualitative phase, to ascertain users' opinions on the wording, coverage, and layout of the questionnaire, and a quantitative phase, to examine internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity. There is very good evidence of the reliability and validity of the final version of ELDQOL, making it a promising instrument for assessing quality of life in children/young adults with epilepsy and learning disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Society and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Appleton
authors.forename: Gus A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacoby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires