The British 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 British language of the parent's version of two health related q uality of life instruments. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire ( CHAQ) is a disease specific health instrument that measures functional abil ity in daily living activities in children with juvenile idiopathic arthrit is (JIA). The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a generic health instrume nt designed to capture the physical and psychosocial well-being of children independently from the underlying disease. A total of 440 subjects were en rolled: 219 patients with JIA (17% systemic onset, 41% polyarticular onset, 33% extended oligoarticular subtype, and 9% persistent oligoarticular subt ype) and 221 healthy, children. The CHAQ clinically discriminated between h ealthy subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic, polyarticular and exte nded oligoarticular subtypes having a higher degree of disability, pain, an d a lower overall well-being when compared to their health), peers. Also th e CHQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, w ith the systemic onset, polyarticular onset and extended oligoarticular sub types having a lower physical and psychosocial well-being when compared to their healthy peers. In conclusion the British version of the CHAQ-CHQ is a reliable, and valid tool for the functional, physical and psychosocial assessment of children w ith JIA.