title: Development of a vision-related quality of life instrument for children ages 8-18 years for use in juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the validity and reliability of a novel questionnaire to measure vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) in children ages 8-18 years for use in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis: the Effects of Youngsters' Eyesight on Quality of Life (EYE-Q).
  
  
  METHODS
  Several steps validated the EYE-Q. We interviewed experts and children on how vision affects a child's activities. We developed new items and selected relevant items from existing instruments. We administered initial versions of the EYE-Q to normal-sighted children and those with JIA-associated uveitis. For this study, children with various (or no) ocular conditions were recruited from a clinical population. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were performed, and the EYE-Q and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) were administered. The EYE-Q was repeated 10 days later. Patients, parents, and physicians rated vision severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 120 patients, 48% were female, 46.7% had no visual impairment, and 53.3% had bilateral eye involvement. The mean age was 11.3 years. There were significant differences in the measures based on visual acuity (P < 0.001). Children with more severe visual acuity and bilateral eye involvement had worse EYE-Q scores (P < 0.001). There were significant associations between the EYE-Q and PedsQL (r = 0.375), repeat EYE-Q (r = 0.864), and clinical measures of ocular disease (r = -0.620).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides evidence of the validity and reliability of the EYE-Q in the measurement of VRQOL. The EYE-Q may complement clinical measures of visual impairment and overall QOL and become an important tool in the assessment of QOL in JIA-associated uveitis.
authors.affiliation: Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA. sangele@emory.edu
authors.forename: Sheila T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Angeles-Han
authors.forename: Kenneth W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Thomas J A
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.forename: Traci
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Rachel Reeves
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.forename: Marla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shainberg
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ponder
authors.forename: Phoebe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lenhart
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: Sunil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Sampath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prahalad
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drews-Botsch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D014787:Vision Tests; D014792:Visual Acuity