The Swiss German and Swiss French versions 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 Swiss German and Swiss French languages of the parent's version of two health related quality of life instruments. The Childhood Health Ass essment Questionnaire (CHAQ) is a disease specific, health instrument that measures functional ability in daily, living activities in children with ju venile idiopathic arthritis WA). The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a generic health instrument designed to capture the physical and psychosocial well-being of children independently from the underlying disease. The Swis s German and Swiss French CHAQ-CHQ were adapted from the German and French versions of the CHAQ-CHQ, and revalidated in this study,. A total of 147 su bjects were enrolled: 85 patients with JIA (22% systemic onset, 31% polyart icular onset, 32% extended oligoarticular subtype, and 15% persistent oligo articular subtype) and 62 healthy children. The CHAQ clinically discriminat ed between healthy, subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic, poly,arti cular and extended oligoarticular subtypes having a higher degree of disabi lity, pain, and a lower overall well-being when, compared to their health), peers. Also the CHQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic onset, polyarticular onset and extended oli goarticular subtypes having a lower physical and psychosocial wellbeing whe n compared to their health), peers. In conclusion the Swiss German and Swis s French versions of the CHAQ-CHQ are reliable, and valid tools for the fun ctional, physical and psychosocial assessment of children with JIA.