title: Health-related quality of life in young adults in education, employment, or training: development of the Japanese version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scales Young Adult Version.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study is to develop a Japanese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scales Young Adult Version (PedsQL-YA-J) and determine the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the scales.
  
  
  METHODS
  Translation equivalence and content validity were verified using back-translation and cognitive debriefing tests. A total of 428 young adults recruited from one university, two vocational schools, or five companies completed questionnaires. We determined questionnaire feasibility, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability; checked concurrent validity against the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D); determined convergent and discriminant validity with the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36); described known-groups validity with regard to subjective symptoms, illness or injury requiring regular medical visits, and depression; and verified factorial validity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All scales were internally consistent (Cronbach's coefficient alpha = 0.77-0.86); test-retest reliability was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.57-0.69); and all scales were concurrently valid with depression (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.43-0.57). The scales convergent and discriminant validity with the SF-36 and CES-D were acceptable. Evaluation of known-groups validity confirmed that the Physical Functioning scale was sensitive for subjective symptoms, the Emotional Functioning scale for depression, and the Work/School Functioning scale for illness or injury requiring regular medical visits. Exploratory factor analysis found a six-factor structure consistent with the assumed structure (cumulative proportion = 57.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PedsQL-YA-J is suitable for assessing health-related quality of life in young adults in education, employment, or training, and for clinical trials and epidemiological research.
authors: Department of Family Nursing, School of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
authors: Mei
authors: M
authors: Kaneko
authors: Iori
authors: I
authors: Sato
authors: Takafumi
authors: T
authors: Soejima
authors: Kiyoko
authors: K
authors: Kamibeppu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations; D055815:Young Adult