Fatigue in children: reliability and validity of the Dutch PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is to report on the feasibility, reliability, validity, and the norm-references of the Dutch version of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale.


METHODS
The study participants are four hundred and ninety-seven parents of children aged 2-18 years and 366 children aged 5-18 years from various day care facilities, elementary schools, and a high school who completed the Dutch version of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale.


RESULTS
The number of missing items was minimal. All scales showed satisfactory internal consistency reliability, with Cronbach's coefficient alpha exceeding 0.70. Test-retest reliability was good to excellent (ICCs 0.68-0.84) and inter-observer reliability varied from moderate to excellent (ICCs 0.56-0.93) for total scores. Parent/child concordance for total scores was poor to good (ICCs 0.25-0.68). The PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale was able to distinguish between healthy children and children with an impaired health condition.


CONCLUSIONS
The Dutch version of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale demonstrates an adequate feasibility, reliability, and validity in another sociocultural context. With the obtained norm-references, it can be utilized as a tool in the evaluation of fatigue in healthy and chronically ill children aged 2-18 years.
Department of Pediatrics, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, PK 4X 033, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ms.gordijn@vumc.nl
M  Suzanne
M
Gordijn
M
M
Suzanne Gordijn
Eline M P
EM
Cremers
Gertjan J L
GJ
Kaspers
Reinoud J B J
RJ
Gemke
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents; D019727:Proxy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*
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