The ePedsQL in type 1 and type 2 diabetes: feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Internet administration.
OBJECTIVE
The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) is a modular instrument designed to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents aged 2-18 years. The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales are child self-report and parent proxy-report scales developed as the generic core measure to be integrated with the PedsQL disease-specific modules. The electronic version of the PedsQL 4.0 (ePedsQL) was designed for Internet administration.


METHODS
Utilizing a randomized crossover design, the PedsQL scales were administered to 92 pediatric patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and 93 parents in electronic and paper formats.


RESULTS
Missing values (0.76% child report, 0.37% parent report), internal consistency reliability (total scale score alpha = 0.90 child report, 0.92 parent report), and mean scores (total scale score M = 78.41 child report, 76.19 parent report) were equivalent between the electronic and paper-and-pencil modes of administration. The ePedsQL distinguished between healthy children and children with diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
The ePedsQL Internet mode of administration demonstrated equivalent measurement properties to the well-established PedsQL paper-and-pencil mode of administration.
Varni
James W
JW
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. jvarni@archmail.tamu.edu
Limbers
Christine A
CA
Burwinkle
Tasha M
TM
Bryant
William P
WP
Wilson
Don P
DP
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results