Jf. Colombel et al., QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DIS EASES - VALIDATION OF A QUESTIONNAIRE AND FIRST DATA IN A FRENCH POPULATION, Gastroenterologie clinique et biologique, 20(12), 1996, pp. 1071-1077
Inflammatory bowel diseases have an important impact on the daily life
of patients. This impact can be measured by the evaluation of the hea
lth related quality of life. The aim of this study was to develop and
to validate a questionnaire of quality of life in a French population.
Methods. - The questionnaire comprised 70 items and was completed in
15 min. It was made up of a) a general questionnaire of 36 items (SF-3
6) exploring daily physical and social functioning, mental and general
health, body pain and vitality A sleep module of 6 item was added; b)
a specific questionnaire of 28 items (RFIPC), exploring the concerns
of the patients. The questionnaire was self-administered to 101 patien
ts with Crohn's disease (57F: 44M, mean age: 35 years, acute disease :
28 %, inpatients : 27 %, 96 patients with ulcerative colitis (38F; 58
M, mean age: 39 years, acute disease : 53 %, inpatients: 21 %). Each p
atient was sex and age matched with a healthy control. Results. - The
psychometric analysis confirmed the validation of the questionnaire fo
r the item's convergent validity internal consistency (Cronbach's coef
ficient being > 0,70), analyses of discrimination. Scores of each scal
e of SF-36 were worse in patients than in controls. Scores of patients
with active disease were worse than those of patients with quiescent
disease. Scores were comparable in patients with Crohn's disease and w
ith ulcerative colitis except for score of pain which was worse in acu
te Crohn's disease. The most important concerns of patients were the u
ncertain nature of the disease, energy level and having surgery. Concl
usion. - This study allowed the validation of a questionnaire for the
evaluation of the quality of life in French patients with inflammatory
bowel disease and provides iii st indications which need to be confir
med by future epidemiological studies.