Reliability and validity of a Chinese version's health-related quality of life questionnaire for hepatitis B patients.
OBJECTIVE
To culturally adapt a Chinese version of the Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (HQLQ) and assess its suitability for use in Chinese-speaking hepatitis B virus (HBV patients in Singapore.


METHODS
Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and intra-class correlation coefficients. Item-to-scale correlation was assessed using Spearman's rank correlations (rho) between scale scores and their constituent items. Convergent and divergent construct validities were tested in three and two a priori hypotheses, respectively, and the correlations were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients.


RESULTS
When tested in 134 HBV patients, the test-retest reliability was supported with all scales showing acceptable correlation coefficients (i.e., alpha>0.7). Item-to-scale correlations were good with most items highly correlated with their hypothesized scales. Convergent and divergent construct validities were supported by the hypothesized correlations between the HQLQ and the EQ-5D domains.


CONCLUSIONS
The culturally adapted questionnaire has good validity and reliability for use in Singapore.
Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Siew Chin
SC
Ong
Seng Gee
SG
Lim
Shu Chuen
SC
Li
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012846:Singapore; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014177:Translations; D055815:Young Adult