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The PedsQL: measurement model for the pediatric quality of life inventory
1Children's Hospital and Health Center and the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 92123, USA. varni@chsd.org
Insights
The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) is a reliable and valid tool for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with chronic conditions. Its flexible design supports various research and clinical uses.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health Outcomes
- Quality of Life Measurement
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a key outcome in pediatric care.
- Validated generic HRQOL measures are crucial for risk assessment, health tracking, and treatment evaluation in children.
- Pediatric cancer serves as a model for assessing HRQOL in chronic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) as a generic HRQOL measure for pediatric patients.
- To establish PedsQL's utility in assessing HRQOL in children with chronic health conditions, using cancer as an example.
Main Methods:
- The PedsQL utilizes a modular approach with a 15-item core measure and supplemental modules.
- Data were collected from 291 pediatric cancer patients and their parents.
- Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha; validity was examined using known-groups and multimethod-multitrait approaches.
Main Results:
- Acceptable reliability was found for the PedsQL core measure (patient alpha = .83, parent alpha = .86) and modules (alphas .70–.89).
- Discriminant validity was demonstrated between patients on- and off-treatment.
- The multidimensional measurement model was supported by scale intercorrelations and construct validity analyses.
Conclusions:
- The PedsQL is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring HRQOL in pediatric populations.
- The PedsQL's core and modular structure offers flexibility for diverse research and clinical applications in pediatric chronic conditions.
Background:
Pediatric patients' self-report of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has emerged as an important patient-based health outcome. A practical, validated generic measure of HRQOL facilitates assessing risk, tracking health status, and measuring treatment outcomes in pediatric populations.
Methods:
The PedsQL is a brief, standardized, generic assessment instrument that systematically assesses patients' and parents' perceptions of HRQOL in pediatric patients with chronic health conditions using pediatric cancer as an exemplary model. The PedsQL is based on a modular approach to measuring HRQOL and consists of a 15-item core measure of global HRQOL and eight supplemental modules assessing specific symptom or treatment domains. The PedsQL was empirically derived from data collected from 291 pediatric cancer patients and their parents at various stages of treatment.
Results:
Both reliability and validity were determined. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the core measure (alpha = .83 for patient and alpha = .86 for parent) were acceptable for group comparisons. Alphas for the patient self-report modules generally ranged from .70 to .89. Discriminant or clinical validity, using the known-groups approach, was demonstrated for patients on- versus off-treatments. The 11 scales showed small-to-medium positive intercorrelations, supporting the multidimensional measurement model. Further construct validity was demonstrated via a multimethod-multitrait matrix using standardized psychosocial questionnaires.
Conclusion:
The results support the PedsQL as a reliable and valid measure of HRQOL. The PedsQL core and modular design makes it flexible enough to be used in a variety of research and clinical applications for pediatric chronic health conditions.