Skip to main content
Log in

The PedsQL in pediatric cerebral palsy: reliability and validity of the Chinese version pediatric quality of life inventory 4.0 generic core scales and 3.0 cerebral palsy module

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 26 November 2010

Abstract

Purpose

This investigation examines the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the Chinese version Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales and 3.0 cerebral palsy (CP) Module in pediatric CP.

Methods

The study sample was comprised of 126 parents of children with CP between the ages of 2 and 12 years including 18 child respondents 5–12 years of age. Mean age of the 87 boys (69.0%) and 39 girls (31.0%) was 4 years 1 month (SD 2 years 2 month).

Results

Reliability was demonstrated for the PedsQL 4.0 (α = 0.86 child, 0.89 parent) and CP Module (α = 0.91 child, 0.96 parent). The PedsQL 4.0 distinguished between healthy children and children with CP. Construct validity of the CP Module was supported through an analysis of the intercorrelations between the Generic Core Scale scores and the CP Module Scale scores and exploratory factor analysis of PedsQL items.

Conclusions

The findings provide support for the measurement properties of the Chinese version PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and 3.0 CP Module in pediatric CP.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CP:

Cerebral palsy

PedsQL:

Pediatric quality of life inventory

HRQOL:

Health-related quality of life

References

  1. Miller, F. (2004). Cerebral palsy. New York: Springer Science and Business Media, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Winter, S., Autry, A., Boyle, C., & Yeargin-Allsopp, M. (2002). Trends in the prevalence of cerebral palsy in a population-based study. Pediatrics, 110(6), 1220–1225.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rosenbaum, P. (2003). Cerebral palsy: What parents and doctors want to know. British Medical Journal, 326(7396), 970–974.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fayers, P. M., & Machin, D. (2000). Quality of life: Assessment, analysis and interpretation. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Matza, L. S., Swensen, A. R., Flood, E. M., et al. (2004). Assessment of health-related quality of life in children: A review of conceptual, methodological, and regulatory issues. Value in Health, 7(1), 79–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bjornson, K. F., & McLaughlin, J. F. (2001). The measurement of health related quality of life (HRQL) in children with CP. European Journal of Neurology, 5, 183–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Varni, J. W., Burwinkle, T. M., Sherman, S. A., et al. (2005). Health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: Hearing the voices of the children. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 47(9), 592–597.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Eiser, C., & Morse, R. (2001). Can parents rate their child’s health-related quality of life?: Results from a systematic review. Quality of Life Research, 10(4), 347–357.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Uzark, K., Jones, K., Burwinkle, T. M., & Varni, J. W. (2003). The pediatric quality of life inventory in children with heart disease. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology, 18, 141–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Palmer, S. N., Meeske, K. A., Katz, E. R., et al. (2007). The PedsQL™ brain tumor module: Initial reliability and validity. Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 49(3), 287–293.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Varni, J. W., Burwinkle, T. M., Berrin, S. J., et al. (2006). The PedsQL™ in pediatric cerebral palsy: Reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the generic core scales and cerebral palsy module. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 48(6), 442–449.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Varni, J. W., Burwinkle, T. M., Jacobs, J. R., et al. (2003). The PedsQL™ in type 1 and type 2 diabetes: Reliability and validity of the pediatric quality of life inventory™ generic core scales and type 1 diabetes module. Diabetes Care, 26(3), 631–637.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Varni, J. W., Burwinkle, T. M., Rapoff, M. A., et al. (2004). The PedsQL™ in pediatric asthma: Reliability and validity of the pediatric quality of life inventory™ generic core scales and asthma module. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 27(3), 297–318.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Varni, J. W., Burwinkle, T. M., Katz, E. R., et al. (2002). The PedsQL™ in pediatric cancer: Reliability and validity of the pediatric quality of life inventory™ generic core scales, multidimensional fatigue scale, and cancer module. Cancer, 94(7), 2090–2106.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Iannaccone, S. T., Hynan, L. S., Morton, A., et al. (2009). The PedsQL™ in pediatric patients with spinal muscular atrophy: Feasibility, reliability, and validity of the pediatric quality of life inventory™ generic core scales and neuromuscular module. Neuromuscular Disorders, 19(12), 805–812.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Varni, J. W., & Limbers, C. A. (2008). The PedsQL™ multidimensional fatigue scale in young adults: Feasibility, reliability and validity in a university student population. Quality of Life Research, 17(1), 105–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Varni, J. W., Seid, M., & Rode, C. A. (1999). The PedsQL: Measurement model for the pediatric quality of life inventory. Medical Care, 37(2), 126–139.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Varni, J. W., Burwinkle, T. M., & Seid, M. (2006). The PedsQL 4.0 as a school population health measure: Feasibility, reliability, and validity. Quality of Life Research, 15(2), 203–215.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Varni, J. W., Seid, M., & Kurtin, P. S. (2001). PedsQL 4.0: Reliability and validity of the pediatric quality of life inventory version 4.0 generic core scales in healthy and patient populations. Medical Care, 39(8), 800–812.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Varni, J. W., Limbers, C. A., & Burwinkle, T. M. (2007). How young can children reliably and validly self-report their health-related quality of life?: An analysis of 8, 591 children across age subgroups with the PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales. Health Qual Life Outcomes, 5, 1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Varni, J. W., Burwinkle, T. M., Sherman, S. A., et al. (2005). Health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: Hearing the voices of the children. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 47(9), 592–597.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Chen, Y. M., He, L. P., Mai, J. C., et al. (2008). Validity and reliability of pediatric quality of life inventory version 4.0 generic core scales in Chinese children and adolescents. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi, 29(6), 560–563.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Fairclough, D. L. (2002). Design and analysis of quality of life studies in clinical trials: Interdisciplinary statistics. New York: Chapman & Hall/CRC.

    Google Scholar 

  24. McHorney, C. A., Ware, J. E., Jr, Lu, J. F., & Sherbourne, C. D. (1994). The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36): III. Tests of data quality, scaling assumptions, and reliability across diverse patient groups. Medical Care, 32(1), 40–66.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. R. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Pedhazur, E. J., & Schmelkin, L. P. (1991). Measurement, design, and analysis: An integrated approach. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rosnow, R. L., & Rosenthal, R. (1996). Computing contrasts, effect sizes, and counternulls on other people’s published data: General procedures for research consumers. Pyschological Methods, 1, 331–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Floyd, F. J., & Widaman, K. F. (1995). Factor analysis in the development and refinement of clinical assessment instruments. Psychological Assess, 7, 286–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Bartko, J. J. (1966). The intraclass correlation coefficient as a measure of reliability. Psychological Reports, 19(1), 3–11.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. McGraw, K. O., & Wong, S. P. (1996). Forming inferences about some intraclass correlation coefficients. Psychological Methods, 1, 30–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. de Vet, H. C., Terwee, C. B., Knol, D. L., et al. (2006). When to use agreement versus reliability measures. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 59(10), 1033–1039.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Novick, M., & Lewis, G. (1967). Coefficient alpha and the reliability of composite measurements. Psychometrika, 32(1), 1–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Sprangers, M. A. G., & Aaronson, N. K. (1992). The role of health care providers and significant others in evaluating the quality of life of patients with chronic disease: A review. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 45(7), 743–760.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: Implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101(2), 213–232.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Eiser, C., & Morse, R. (2001). Can parents rate their child’s health-related quality of life?: Results from a systematic review. Quality of Life Research, 10(4), 347–357.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Campo, J. V., Comer, D. M., Jansen-McWilliams, L., et al. (2002). Recurrent pain, emotional distress, and health service use in childhood. Journal of Pediatrics, 141(1), 76–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Janicke, D. M., Finney, J. W., & Riley, A. W. (2001). Children’s health care use: A prospective investigation of factors related to care-seeking. Medical Care, 39(9), 990–1001.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Varni, J. W., & Setoguchi, Y. (1992). Screening for behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents with congenital or acquired limb deficiencies. American Journal of Disease of Children, 146(1), 103–107.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Varni, J. W., Limbers, C. A., & Burwinkle, T. M. (2007). Parent proxy-report of their children’s health-related quality of life: An analysis of 13, 878 parents’ reliability and validity across age subgroups using the PedsQLTM 4.0 generic core scales. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 5, 2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Reinfjell, T., Diseth, T. H., Veenstra, M., & Vikan, A. (2006). Measuring health-related quality of life in young adolescents: Reliability and validity in the Norwegian version of the pediatric quality of life inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL) generic core scales. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 4, 61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Costello, A. B., & Osborne, J. W. (2005). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: Four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Practical Assessment Research and Evaluation, 10(7), 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Rehabilitation Centre, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Dr Varni holds the copyright for the PedsQL. Professor Hu translated the PedsQL 3.0 CP Module Scale to Chinese with his group. Yu Deng helped the data statistic. All of them are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nong Xiao.

Additional information

This is the first study with the reliability and validity for Chinese version PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and 3.0 CP Module in pediatric patient with CP. The study was supported by the Rehabilitation Centre of the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University.

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9802-6

Appendix I

Appendix I

See Table 7.

Table 7 PedsQL 3.0 CP module parent report item content

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yang, X., Xiao, N. & Yan, J. The PedsQL in pediatric cerebral palsy: reliability and validity of the Chinese version pediatric quality of life inventory 4.0 generic core scales and 3.0 cerebral palsy module. Qual Life Res 20, 243–252 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9751-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9751-0

Keywords

Navigation