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Clinical experience and psychometric properties of the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI), 1995-2012
M S Salek1, S Jung, L A Brincat-Ruffini
1Centre for Socioeconomic Research, Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, U.K.
Insights
The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) is a reliable tool for assessing pediatric dermatology patients' quality of life. This review confirms its global use and strong psychometric properties across various skin conditions and treatments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Quality of Life Measurement
- Psychometrics
Background:
- The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) is a key instrument for evaluating quality of life in pediatric dermatology.
- Its widespread adoption necessitates a consolidated review of its clinical application and psychometric validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize all published data on the clinical experience and psychometric properties of the CDLQI.
- To serve as a comprehensive reference for researchers and clinicians utilizing the CDLQI.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted for articles published between 1995 and November 2012 detailing CDLQI usage.
- 102 clinical studies were identified and analyzed for the CDLQI's application, reliability, and validity.
Main Results:
- The CDLQI has been utilized in 102 clinical studies across 28 countries and is available in 44 languages, including cultural adaptations.
- Evidence supports its high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, responsiveness, and correlation with other measures.
- It has been applied to 14 skin conditions and in evaluating various therapeutic interventions and drugs.
Conclusions:
- The CDLQI is a well-established, globally recognized, and psychometrically sound instrument for assessing quality of life in children with dermatological conditions.
- Further research is recommended on Rasch analysis and defining the minimal clinically important difference for the CDLQI.
Abstract:
The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) is a widely used questionnaire to measure the quality of life of children aged from 4 to 16 years. The purpose of this review is to summarize all published data regarding the clinical experience of the CDLQI and its psychometric properties as a single reference source for potential users. A literature search was carried out to identify all articles describing the use of the CDLQI from 1995 to November 2012. One hundred and six articles were identified, with four excluded. The CDLQI has been used in 28 countries in 102 clinical studies and is available in 44 languages, including six cultural adaptations; a cartoon version is available in 10 languages. It has been used in 14 skin conditions and used in the assessment of 11 topical drugs, nine systemic drugs, 13 therapeutic interventions and two epidemiological and other studies. There is evidence of high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, responsiveness to change, and significant correlation with other subjective and objective measures. Rasch analysis has not been carried out and more information is needed concerning minimal clinically important difference; these are areas requiring further study.
