The Austrian version of the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ)

We report herein the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validatio n into the Austrian language of the parentis version of two health related quality of life instruments. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) is a disease specific health instrument that measures functional abi lity in daily living activities in children with juvenile idiopathic arthri tis (JIA). The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a generic health instrum ent designed to capture the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of children independently from the underlying disease. The Austrian CHAQ CHQ were adap ted from the German version of the CHAQ-CHQ, and revalidated in this study. A total of 134 subjects were enrolled: 74 patients with JIA (9.5% systemic onset, 42% polyarticular onset, 9.5% extended oligoarticular subtype, and 39% persistent oligoarticular subtype) and 60 healthy children. The CHAQ cl inically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic, polyarticular and extended oligoarticular subtypes having a highe r degree of disability, pain, and a lower overall well-being when compared to their healthy peers. Also the CHQ clinically discriminated bem een healt hy subjects and RA patients, with the systemic onset, polyarticular onset a nd extended oligoarticular subtypes having a lower physical and psychosocia l well-being when compared to their healthy peers. In conclusion the Austrian version of the CHAQ-CHQ is a reliable, and valid tool for the functional, physical and psychosocial assessment of children with JIA.