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[HAQ-DI Italian version in systemic sclerosis]

G La Montagna1, G Cuomo, I Chiarolanza

  • 1Dipartimento di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Sezione di Reumatologia.

Reumatismo
|July 11, 2006
PubMed

Insights

The Italian version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) is a valid tool for assessing disability in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. Higher HAQ-DI scores correlated significantly with skin sclerosis, joint contractures, myopathy, and digital ulcers.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Clinical Assessment
  • Systemic Sclerosis Research

Background:

  • Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease affecting the skin and internal organs.
  • Accurate disability assessment is crucial for managing SSc patients.
  • The Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) is a widely used tool, but its Italian version requires validation in SSc.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the validity and reliability of the Italian version of the HAQ-DI in patients with systemic sclerosis.
  • To explore the correlation between HAQ-DI scores and specific SSc disease manifestations.

Main Methods:

  • 121 SSc patients meeting ACR criteria were enrolled.
  • The Italian version of HAQ-DI, previously validated for rheumatoid arthritis, was administered.
  • Associations between HAQ-DI scores and disease subset, skin sclerosis extent, joint contractures, myopathy, and digital ulcers were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • The mean HAQ-DI score for SSc patients was 0.772 ± 0.074.
  • Statistically significant differences in HAQ-DI scores were observed between patients with and without wide skin sclerosis (P<0.001).
  • Higher HAQ-DI scores were significantly associated with joint contractures (P<0.001), myopathy (P<0.001), and digital ulcers (P=0.006).

Conclusions:

  • The findings support the validity of the Italian version of HAQ-DI for assessing disability in systemic sclerosis.
  • The HAQ-DI effectively captures disability related to key SSc complications.
  • This validated tool can aid in the clinical management and research of SSc in Italy.
Abstract

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