Abstract
Feasibility, reliability, and discriminative validity of the cross-culturally adapted Dutch version of the originally US child health questionnaire-child form (CHQ-CF87), an 87-item generic pediatric health-related quality of life instrument, were assessed. The success criterion in this first evaluation was the equivalence of psychometric properties of the adapted and the original CHQ. A total of 466 schoolchildren (9–17 years) were invited to complete the questionnaire in the classroom. Test–retest reliability was measured after 14 days in a subgroup (n = 71). Response was 96%. Four scales had ceiling effects (> 50%), as was reported in an Australian study. Cronbach α-values were adequate (> 0.70), except for ‘physical functioning’ (0.56). Test–retest correlations, not previously reported, were not statistically significant for two CHQ-scales, whereas average retest scores indicated better health for five scales (p < 0.01). The CHQ scales discriminated significantly (p < 0.01) between children without (n = 281) and children with two or more self-reported chronic diseases (n = 59). This is in correspondence with US and Australian reports. Conclusions: The current data support application of the Dutch CHQ-CF in predominantly healthy populations, e.g. in school settings. Given the limitations of this study and some less favorable results (score distributions, internal consistency; test–retest reliability), further evaluation of the CHQ-CF is recommended, preferably by analyses of item performance and scale validity in international data sets that include varied clinical subgroups.
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Raat, H., Landgraf, J., Bonsel, G. et al. Reliability and validity of the child health questionnaire-child form (CHQ-CF87) in a Dutch adolescent population. Qual Life Res 11, 575–581 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016393311799
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016393311799