Evaluation of reliability and validity of Spanish version of the end-stage renal disease symptom checklist-transplantation module.
BACKGROUND
Although health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with a renal transplantation is an important variable, it has received little attention and only a few Spanish validated measurement instruments are available. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the End Stage Renal Disease Symptom Checklist-Transplantation Module (ESRD-SCL), a specific questionnaire for measuring HRQoL of kidney transplant patients.


METHODS
This prospective study to validate the ESRD-SCL included 307 patients who received a first kidney transplant. Patients filled out the ESRD-SCL, the EuroQol-5D and the Short Form-36 Health Survey at pretransplant, after 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year of follow-up. A complete set of sociodemographic and clinical data was also collected.


RESULTS
Mean age of patients was 51.6 years (SD+/-12) and 59.2% were men. A total of 24% had suffered initial allograft dysfunction and 18% had acute rejection. A six-dimensional factorial structure could be discerned. These dimensions were different from the original questionnaire and explained 56.07% of the variance. Internal consistency was good (Cronbach alpha = 0.91 for the overall score and 0.60-0.86 for dimensions). A statistically significant moderate correlation was observed between the Short Form-36 and EuroQol-5D with the ESRD-SCL dimensions and with some of the clinical and sociodemographic variables.


CONCLUSIONS
The Spanish version of the ESRD-SCL is a useful, user-friendly instrument for measuring the HRQoL related to the side effects on immunosuppression treatment of renal transplant patients more accurately.
Ortega
Teresa
T
Health Outcomes Research Unit, Nephrology Service, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Asturias, Spain. tortega@hca.es
Valdés
Covadonga
C
Rebollo
Pablo
P
Ortega
Francisco
F
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires