PedsQL (TM) 4.0: Reliability and validity of the pediatric quality of lifeInventory (TM) Version 4.0 generic core scales in healthy and patient populations

BACKGROUND. The PedsQL (Pediatric Qualify of Life Inventory) (Children's Ho spital and Health Center, San Diego, California) is a modular instrument fo r measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolesce nts ages 2 to I8. The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales are multidimensional c hild self-report and parent proxy-report scales developed as the generic ca re measure to be integrated with fine PedsQL Disease-Specific Modules. The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales consist of 23 items applicable for healthy s chool and community populations, as well as pediatric populations with acut e and chronic health conditions. METHODS. The 4 PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales (Physical, Emotional, Social, School) were administered to 963 children and 1,629 parents (1,677 subject s accrued overall) recruited from pediatric health care settings. Item-leve l and scale-Level measurement properties were computed. RESULTS. Infernal consistency reliability for the Total Scale Score (alpha = 0.88 child, 0.90 parent report), Physical Health Summary Score (alpha = 0 .80 child, 0.88 parent), and Psychosocial Health Summary Score (alpha = 0.8 3 child, 0.86 parent) were acceptable for group comparisons. Validity was d emonstrated using the known-groups method, correlations with indicators of morbidity and illness burden, and factor analysis. The PedsQL distinguished between healthy children and pediatric patients with acute or chronic heal th conditions, was related to indicators of morbidity and illness burden, a nd displayed a factor-derived solution largely consistent with the a priori conceptually-derived scales. CONCLUSION. The results demonstrate the reliabiity and validity of the Peds QL 4.0 Generic Care Scales. The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales may be appli cable in clinical trials, research, clinical practice, school health settin gs, and community populations.