title: [Validation of a diagnostic questionnaire of allergic rhinitis in children and adults for epidemiological studies].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergic rhinitis is the most frequent allergic disease, characterized by nasal symptoms consisting of rhinorrhea, nasal block-age and sneezing triggered by and IgE mediated reaction to allergens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To validate a questionnaire for the clinical diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A test of a test in which a questionnaire for the clinical diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was developed and validated it in 300 subjects (150 children, 150 adults, of both genders, 2-70 years), in allergy specialized centers, between November 2012 and February 2014. Half of the subjects had allergist-diagnosed allergic rhinitis, the other half served as a control group. In patients below 12 years of age the questionnaire was applied to the parents. All questionnaires were applied in duplicate within a time-span of several weeks to validate the intra-subject consistency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tests applied to the answers of the questionnaire demonstrated an acceptable concordance in the Test-Retest for both, adults and children. Likewise, we found a very high inter-rater reliability: the agreement between 2 physicians being almost perfect. The test used for validation of the criteria in the adult questionnaire obtained 91% sensitivity, 89% specificity, PPV 89% and NPV 92% and in the children's questionnaire 92% sensitivity and 93% specificity, PPV 93% and NPV 92% and the criteria for content validity and expression were properly met. The homogeneity test reached 0.7 (Alpha Cronbach).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The questionnaire for allergic rhinitis in children and adults reached a highly acceptable inter-rater reliability, with high sensitivity and specificity in the validation of the criteria and an acceptable grade in the homogeneity test.
authors.affiliation: Práctica privada. Acrópolis 5101, 72567 Puebla, Puebla. manele05@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Eleazar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mancilla-Hernández
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Medina-Ávalos
authors.forename: Roberto E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Osorio-Escamilla
keywords: Allergic rinitis; Concordance; Questionnaire; Validity