The Brazilian Portuguese version of the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale for use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
OBJECTIVE
To translate the London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL) scale into Portuguese and to determine whether this version is reproducible in Brazilian patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
The LCADL scale was translated into Portuguese and then back-translated into English. This pilot Brazilian Portuguese version was administered to 8 patients with COPD, and possible text-related problems were investigated. The principal problems were discussed with the authors of the original scale, and a final translated version was arrived at. At the study outset, two observers administered this final version (twice in one day) to 31 patients with COPD. One of those observers again administered the scale to the same patients 15-20 days later. At baseline, the patients were submitted to pulmonary function testing and to the six-minute walk test (6MWT).


RESULTS
The Brazilian Portuguese version of the LCADL scale demonstrated excellent reproducibility in the total score and in most of the questions, with an inter-rater Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.89-0.97; p < 0.01) and an intra-rater Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.83-0.96; p < 0.01). The total score presented a negative correlation with forced expiratory volume in one second in liters (r = -0.49; p < 0.05) and with distance covered on the 6MWT (r = -0.56; p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The Brazilian Portuguese version of the LCADL scale is a reliable, reproducible, and valid instrument for evaluating dyspnea during activities of daily living in patients with severe COPD.
Carpes
Marta Fioravante
MF
Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí - UNIVALI, Vale do Itajaí University - Itajaí, Brazil.
Mayer
Anamaria Fleig
AF
Simon
Karen Muriel
KM
Jardim
José Roberto
JR
Garrod
Rachel
R
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014177:Translations