title: PedsQL gastrointestinal symptoms module: feasibility, reliability, and validity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to report on the measurement properties of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module for patients with functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders (FGIDs) and organic GI diseases, hereafter referred to as "GI disorders," for patient self-report ages between 5 and 18 and parent proxy-report for ages between 2 and 18 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 74-item PedsQL GI Module and 23-item PedsQL Generic Core Scales were completed in a 9-site study by 584 patients and 682 parents. Patients had physician-diagnosed GI disorders (such as chronic constipation, functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen unidimensional scales were derived measuring stomach pain, stomach discomfort when eating, food and drink limits, trouble swallowing, heartburn and reflux, nausea and vomiting, gas and bloating, constipation, blood, diarrhea, worry, medicines, and communication. The PedsQL GI Module Scales evidenced excellent feasibility, excellent reliability for the Total Scale Scores (patient self-report α = 0.97, parent proxy-report α = 0.97), and good-to-excellent reliability for the 14 individual scales (patient self-report α = 0.67-0.94, parent proxy-report α = 0.77-0.95). Intercorrelations with the Generic Core Scales supported construct validity. Individual Symptoms Scales known-groups validity across 7 GI disorders was generally supported. Factor analysis supported the unidimensionality of the individual scales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PedsQL GI Module Scales demonstrated acceptable-to-excellent measurement properties and may be used as common metrics to compare GI-specific symptoms in clinical research and practice both within and across patient groups for FGIDs and organic GI diseases.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station †Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil ‡Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus §Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Children's Nutrition Research Center ||Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston ¶Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora #Center for Motility and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA **Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas ††Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH ‡‡Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL §§Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Goryeb Children's Hospital, Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ ||||Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Primary Children's Hospital, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Varni
authors.forename: Cristiane B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bendo
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Denham
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: Mariella M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Self
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Neigut
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nurko
authors.forename: Ashish S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Franciosi
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saps
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Verga
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Alyson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeckes
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heinz
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langseder
authors.forename: Shehzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Zacur
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pohl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods*