title: Validation of the Spanish version of the DEMQOL system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dementia is associated with poor quality of life, but generic measures do not fully capture main aspects of these conditions. Our aim was to validate a Spanish version of the "dementia-specific health-related quality of life" DEMQOL system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We validated the Spanish DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy in 119 people with dementia from six centers and their caregivers. Patient-reported information, including generic (WHOQOL-BREF) and dementia-specific (DEMQOL) health-related quality of life, depressive symptoms (GDS-15), functional ability (Barthel Index), subjective perception of health and demographic information, was obtained by interview. Proxy-reported information from a family caregiver about the patient's quality of life (DEMQOL-Proxy) was also obtained by interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Spanish DEMQOL showed good psychometric properties. Acceptability (14.3% missing data), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.71) were good. A priori hypotheses about the relationship between DEMQOL and the WHOQOL-BREF (psychological and physical domains), GDS-15 and Barthel Index were confirmed, indicating good construct validity. Associations between DEMQOL-Proxy and other measures were weaker. A three-factor solution accounted for 44.4% of the total variance of DEMQOL, and a four-factor solution accounted for 53.3% of the total variance of DEMQOL- Proxy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Spanish versions of DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy are reliable and valid in patients with mild/moderate dementia who are living at home.
authors.affiliation: Institut de l'Envelliment, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08041 Barcelona, Spain. Ramona.Lucas@uab.es
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lucas-Carrasco
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lamping
authors.forename: Sube
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rejas
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gómez-Benito
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015588:Observer Variation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires