title: Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the Dutch Version of the Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 (COMQ-12).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the validity and test-retest reliability of the Dutch translation of the Chronic Otitis Media Questionnaire 12 (COMQ-12).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five healthy individuals with no history of chronic otitis media (COM) received the questionnaire as well as a group of 35 patients with complaints of COM. The healthy participants had to complete the questionnaire twice (control group 1 and control group 2) to estimate the test-retest reliability, and their scores were compared with those of the patients (group 3) to test the validity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall COMQ-12 score in control group 1 ranged from 0 to 11, in control group 2 from 0 to 6, and in group 3 from 7 to 46. The mean score in control group 1 was 1.43 [standard deviation (SD) 2.30], 1.34 in control group 2 (SD 2.06), and 27.80 in group 3 (SD 10.51). A comparison of the absolute COMQ-12 scores of the two control groups and the patient group showed a significantly higher COMQ-12 score in patients with COM than in controls. The diagnostic accuracy was investigated, and a COMQ-12 cut-off score of 8 was found to have a near-perfect sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing between the presence and absence of COM. The single-measures intraclass correlation coefficient for absolute agreement (ICCAA) was 0.859 (with a 95% confidence interval from 0.738 to 0.926). This clearly exceeded the ICC threshold for acceptable reliability (ICC≥0.75) and therefore confirmed that there was reasonable test-retest reliability when applying the questionnaire to control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Dutch version of the COMQ-12 has good validity, diagnostic accuracy, and test-retest reliability.
authors.affiliation: European Institute for ORL-HNS, Department of ENT-HNS Sint-Augustinus Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium. joost.vandinther@gza.be.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Dinther
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Droessaert
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camp
authors.forename: Robby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vanspauwen
authors.forename: Youri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maryn
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarowski
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Somers
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Offeciers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations; D055815:Young Adult