VALIDATION OF A NEW DYSPNEA MEASURE - THE UCSD SHORTNESS OF BREATH QUESTIONNAIRE

Objective: Evaluate the reliability and validity of a new version of t he University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnai re (SOBQ), a 24-item measure that assesses self-reported shortness of breath while performing a variety of activities of daily living. Desig n: Patients enrolled in a pulmonary rehabilitation program were asked to complete the SOBQ, the Quality of Well-Being Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and a 6-min walk with modified Borg scale ratings of perceived breathlessness following the walk. Se tting: University medical center pulmonary rehabilitation program. Pat ients: Thirty-two male subjects and 22 female subjects with a variety of pulmonary diagnoses: COPD (n=28), cystic fibrosis (n=9), and postlu ng transplant (n=17). Measurements and results: The current version of the SOBQ was compared with the previous version, the format of which often resulted in a significant number of ''not applicable'' answers. The results demonstrated that the SOBQ had excellent internal consiste ncy (alpha=0.96). The SOBQ was also significantly correlated with all validity criteria. Conclusions: The SOBQ is a valuable assessment tool in both clinical practice and research in patients with moderate-to-s evere lung disease.