title: Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health-related quality of life has emerged as an important outcome in treating and managing patients with heart failure (HF). However, there is no existing instrument for use in Chinese populations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To translate the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) into a Chinese version and to validate it in the clinical setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of 247 participants with New York Heart Association Class II to III chronic HF were recruited from a cardiovascular outpatient department in Taiwan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The content validity index was 0.98. Construct validity was supported by exploratory factor analysis, which showed three factors with 20 of 21 items loading above .50, explaining 71% of the variance. Total scale and subscale scores were correlated highly with the reference instruments, indicating satisfactory concurrent and convergent validity. The mean scores of the Chinese version of the MLHFQ were significantly higher among participants with HF than those from a non-HF comparison group. The instrument demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of .95 for the scale and .93 to .95 for the subscales).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The psychometric properties indicate that the Chinese version of the MLHFQ is a valid and reliable instrument for future research. This instrument provides a holistic approach for measuring health-related quality of life in New York Heart Association Class II and III HF patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Kwei-shan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. ccho@gw.cgit.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chao-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Clochesy
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madigan
authors.forename: Chuan-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D014175:Translating