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Reliability and validity of the Katz Adjustment Scales in an epilepsy sample

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Abstract

Development of quality of life measures de novo is time-consuming and expensive, and a number of instruments are already available for general use. Reevaluation and refinement of quality of life tools are needed to improve the existing pool of measures. In this study, data from a sample of 328 epilepsy patients were used to revise a measure of social adjustment and emotional status developed in the 1960s, the 127-item form R1 of the Katz Adjustment Scales (KAS-R1). Using a comprehensive item analysis procedure, we increased the number of items used in scoring the KAS-R1 from 76 to 113 and substantially improved the reliability of scales in both the criginal sample of 328 epilepsy patients and in a second administration to a ‘cross-validation’ sample of 193 epilepsy patients. Support for the validity of the revised KAS-R1 scoring system was obtained in a known groups analysis of patients who had previously undergone surgery for epilepsy: mean scores were significantly higher (p<0.05) on 11 out of 14 scales in the revised KAS-R1 for patients who were completely seizure-free compared to patients who were having seizures with loss of consciousness, after adjusting for age, gender, and anticonvulsant medication use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of California, C-128 Reed Building, 710 Westwood Plaza, 90024-1769, Los Angeles, California, USA

    B. G. Vickrey & R. H. Brook

  2. Department of Health Services, University of California, C-128 Reed Building, 710 Westwood Plaza, 90024-1769, Los Angeles, California, USA

    R. H. Brook

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, C-128 Reed Building, 710 Westwood Plaza, 90024-1769, Los Angeles, California, USA

    R. Rausch

  4. Department of Neurology, University of California, C-128 Reed Building, 710 Westwood Plaza, 90024-1769, Los Angeles, California, USA

    R. Rausch

  5. RAND, Santa Monica, California, USA

    R. D. Hays & R. H. Brook

Authors
  1. B. G. Vickrey
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  2. R. D. Hays
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  3. R. H. Brook
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  4. R. Rausch
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Additional information

This project was supported in part by The Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (fellowship support), and by BRSG SO7 RR5756 awarded by the Biomedical Research Support Grant Program, Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health. Opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring institutions, RAND, or the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Vickrey, B.G., Hays, R.D., Brook, R.H. et al. Reliability and validity of the Katz Adjustment Scales in an epilepsy sample. Qual Life Res 1, 63–72 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00435437

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00435437

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