title: Validation and internal consistency of the Swedish version of the Valued Life Activities scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to create a linguistically and culturally validated Swedish version of the Valued Life Activities scale. The aim was also to describe its content and concurrent validity and its internal consistency in persons with rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Valued Life Activities scale was translated to Swedish and culturally adapted. In order to describe the content validity, both the Swedish and original Valued Life Activities scale were linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The concurrent validity and internal consistency were evaluated in 737 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. To establish concurrent validity, the scale was correlated to disease activity, activity limitations, and life satisfaction. Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach's alpha.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The equivalence of meaning between the Swedish and the original Valued Life Activities scale was ensured by harmonization review. Content validity was high when linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Concurrent validity showed a strong correlation with the activity limitations (r = 0.87), moderate with life satisfaction (r = -0.61), and weak with disease activity (r = 0.38). Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Swedish Valued Life Activities scale has been tested in a large and well-characterized sample and found to be a linguistically valid and culturally adapted self-reported measure of participation. Content validity of the Valued Life Activities scale was excellent, concurrent validity strong, and the internal consistency excellent. Since both individual preferences and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health concepts of disability are taken into account, the Swedish Valued Life Activities scale appears to be a promising new scale addressing important aspects of participation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden mathilda.bjork@liu.se.
authors.forename: Mathilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Björk
authors.affiliation: Department of Pain and Rehabilitation Center and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thyberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Activity and Health and Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valtersson
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D026712:Value of Life
keywords: Activity limitation; Disability and Health; International Classification of Functioning; assessment; participation; patient perspective; validation; valued life activities scale