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Reliability and validity of the Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire for infants and children in The Netherlands
M E van Baar1, M L Essink-Bot, I M M H Oen
1Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands. M.E.vanBaar@umcutrecht.nl
Insights
The Dutch Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire (HOBQ) is reliable and valid for assessing outcomes in young children after burns. This tool aids in monitoring functional recovery in pediatric burn survivors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric burn care
- Rehabilitation medicine
- Health outcomes research
Background:
- The Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire (HOBQ) is a valuable tool for monitoring pediatric burn survivors' outcomes.
- Assessing the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Dutch adaptation of the HOBQ is crucial for its clinical application in the Netherlands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Dutch version of the Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire (HOBQ) in young children (0-4 years).
- To establish the HOBQ as a dependable instrument for monitoring functional outcomes in pediatric burn patients.
Main Methods:
- The Dutch HOBQ was administered to parents of 413 children admitted to a Dutch burn center (March 2001-February 2004).
- Validity was assessed using the Infant Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire (ITQOL).
- Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness to length of stay were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A response rate of 50.0% (n=196) was achieved, with a mean completion time of 16.7 minutes.
- The HOBQ demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.69) and acceptable test-retest reliability for most scales.
- Significant correlations with the ITQOL and expected differences based on length of stay supported the HOBQ's validity.
Conclusions:
- The Dutch version of the HOBQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing functional outcomes in young children following burn injuries.
- The HOBQ can be effectively utilized as a research tool for monitoring pediatric burn survivors' recovery.
- Further research across diverse samples is recommended to solidify the HOBQ's established reliability and validity.
Abstract:
The Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire (HOBQ) is a self-administered questionnaire to monitor outcome after burns in young children. This study aimed to assess feasibility, reliability and validity of the Dutch version of the HOBQ. The HOBQ was adapted into Dutch and tested in a population of children aged 0-4 years with a primary admission to a Dutch burn centre in March 2001-February 2004. Parents of 413 children were sent a questionnaire. To assess validity, a generic outcome instrument was included, the Infant Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire (ITQOL). The response rate was 50.0% (n=196). Mean self-reported completion time was 16.7 min. The internal consistency of all the HOBQ-scales was good (Cronbach's alpha's>0.69). Test-retest results showed no differences in 7 out of 10 scales. High correlations between HOBQ-scales and conceptually equivalent ITQOL and scales were found in 5 out of 7 comparisons. The majority of the HOBQ-scales (7 out of 10) showed significant differences in the expected direction between children with a long versus short length of stay. Our data support the reliability and validity of the Dutch HOBQ. The HOBQ can be used as a research tool, to monitor functional outcome after burns in young children. Further research in other samples is recommend to fully establish the reliability and validity of the HOBQ.