Euroquest: The validity of a new symptom questionnaire

The new questionnaire Euroquest was designed to study effects From exposure to organic solvents, and it covers the most commonly reported symptoms ass ociated with longterm solvent exposure. Its convergence and criterion valid ity were evaluated by means of comparison with the two well-established gen eric symptom questionnaires Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) and General Health, Questionnaire (GHQ-30). Men with long-term exposure to organic solvents and symptoms common in toxic encephalopathy (TE) classified as TE type 2A (n=2 9) or 2B (n=28) according to their neuropsychological test performance and a comparable group of non-exposed healthy referents (N=57) were included. T he six Euroquest factors obtained by a factor analysis were labeled: 'emoti onal lability', 'cognitive disturbances', 'peripheral neurology: 'sleepines s: 'fatigue' and 'sleep disturbances'. These factors correlated well with m ost SCL-90 scales and with the GHQ-30 total score in the combined TE groups . The combined TE groups were correctly classified to a similar degree by t he Euroquest factors 'cognitive diturbances" and 'peripheral neurology' (TE 82.5% and referents 93%) and the SCL-90 scales 'somatization', 'interperso nal sensitivity', 'obsessive-compulsive symptoms' and 'hostility' (TE 84.2% and referents 93.0%), but not as well by GHQ-30 (TE 61.4% and referents 79 %). In comparison with the separate TE groups most referents, and a conside rably higher percentage of 2B than 2A subjects, could be correctly classifi ed with both Euroquest and SCL-90. With GHQ-30, only a few 2A cases and few er than half of the 2B cases were correctly classified. In conclusion, the Euroquest factors converged with both SCL-90 scales and GHQ-30 score. With both the Euroquest and SCL-90 questionnaires a similar percentage of the TE subjects were discriminated from the referents, most conspicuously regardi ng TE 2B subjects, who had an objectified cognitive dysfunction. In a choic e between Euroquest and SCL-90, the Euroquest may have tl-le advantage of h igher face validity, for TE subjects. (C) 2000 Inter Press, Inc.