Development and Psychometric Assessment of a Chinese Version of the Ultra-Low Vision Visual Functioning...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Psychometrics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Assessing visual function in individuals with ultra-low vision (ULV) is crucial for effective management and rehabilitation.
• Existing comprehensive questionnaires can be time-consuming for both patients and clinicians.
• There is a need for a validated, shorter instrument to assess visual functioning in the Chinese ULV population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a concise, 50-item short form of the Chinese Ultra-Low Vision Visual Functioning Questionnaire (ULV-VFQ-50).
• To compare the psychometric properties of the new ULV-VFQ-50 with the original ULV-VFQ-150.
• To validate the ULV-VFQ-50 for use in China.

Main Methods:

• Candidate items were selected from the ULV-VFQ-150 based on item response, measure distribution, and visual domains.
• The 50-item ULV-VFQ-50 was administered to ULV participants.
• Rasch analysis was employed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the ULV-VFQ-50.

Main Results:

• A valid response rate of 91.9% was achieved with 68 completed questionnaires.
• Rasch analysis indicated excellent psychometric properties, with high item (0.95) and person (0.98) reliability.
• Principal component analysis confirmed the unidimensionality of the questionnaire.

Conclusions:

• The Chinese ULV-VFQ-50 demonstrates excellent psychometric properties, confirming its validity and reliability.
• The shorter format requires less administration time, making it more practical for clinical and research settings.
• The ULV-VFQ-50 is a suitable tool for assessing visual function in people with ULV in China.