title: Psychometric properties of the Swedish PedsQL, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 generic core scales.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the psychometric performance of the Swedish version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 generic core scales in a general child population in Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  PedsQL forms were distributed to 2403 schoolchildren and 888 parents in two different school settings. Reliability and validity was studied for self-reports and proxy reports, full forms and short forms. Confirmatory factor analysis tested the factor structure and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis tested measurement invariance between boys and girls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Test-retest reliability was demonstrated for all scales and internal consistency reliability was shown with alpha value exceeding 0.70 for all scales but one (self-report short form: social functioning). Child-parent agreement was low to moderate. The four-factor structure of the PedsQL and factorial invariance across sex subgroups were confirmed for the self-report forms and for the proxy short form, while model fit indices suggested improvement of several proxy full-form scales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Swedish PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales are a reliable and valid tool for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment in Swedish child populations. The proxy full form, however, should be used with caution. The study also support continued use of the PedsQL as a four-factor model, capable of revealing meaningful HRQoL differences between boys and girls.
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. solveig.petersen@pediatri.umu.se
authors: Solveig
authors: S
authors: Petersen
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Hägglöf
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Stenlund
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Bergström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010372:Pediatrics; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent / Q000379:methods*; D002666:Psychology, Child / Q000379:methods*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden