[Validation of the Spanish version of the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ)]

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Clinical Practice Research
• Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) Assessment

Background:

• Rhinoconjunctivitis (RC) significantly impacts patients' quality of life.
• Validated instruments are crucial for accurately measuring HRQL in clinical settings.
• The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) is a key tool for this purpose.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Spanish version of the RQLQ in routine clinical practice.
• To assess the feasibility, validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change of the RQLQ.
• To evaluate the RQLQ's utility in adult patients diagnosed with rhinoconjunctivitis.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 284 adult patients with RC across 37 specialized centers in Spain.
• Patients were divided into two groups: non-stable (on antihistamines) and stable RC.
• The RQLQ and EQ-5D questionnaires were administered at baseline and a 15-day follow-up visit.

Main Results:

• The RQLQ demonstrated good feasibility, with a mean administration time of approximately 10 minutes.
• High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.85-0.96) and reliability (intraclass correlation 0.68-0.89) were observed.
• The RQLQ showed strong correlations with similar EQ-5D dimensions and good sensitivity to clinical changes (effect size 0.76-1.46).

Conclusions:

• The Spanish RQLQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing HRQL in adult patients with seasonal or perennial RC.
• The questionnaire is sensitive to changes in patient status over a short period.
• This validation supports the use of the Spanish RQLQ in regular clinical practice for RC management.