Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the pediatric quality of life inventory™ (PedsQL™) 3.0 neuromuscular module in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Background: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) is a widely used instrument to measure pediatric health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children aged 2 to 18 years. The current study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Neuromuscular Module in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods: The PedsQL™ 3.0 Neuromuscular Module was translated into Chinese following PedsQL™ Measurement Model Translation Methodology. The Chinese version scale was administered to 56 children with DMD and their parents, and the psychometric properties were evaluated. Results: The missing value percentages for each item of the Chinese version scale ranged from 0.00% to 0.54%. Internal consistency reliability approached or exceeded the minimum reliability standard of a = 0.7 (child a = 0.81, parent a = 0.86). Test-retest reliability was satisfactory, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.66 for children and 0.88 for parents (P < 0.01). Correlation coefficients between iteims and their hypothesized subscales were higher than those with other subscales (P < 0.05). The subscale of "About My/My Child's Neuromuscular Disease" significantly related to mobility and stair climbing status (Child t = 2.21, Parent t = 2.83, P < 0.05). The intercorrelations among the Chinese version of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Neuromuscular Module and the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales had medium to large effect sizes (P < 0.05). The child self-report scores were in moderate agreement with the parent proxy-report scores (ICC = 0.51, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The Chinese version of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Neuromuscular Module has acceptable psychometric properties. It is a reliable measure of disease-specific HRQOL in Chinese children with DMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]