Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Korean version of the quality of life assessment in spina bifida for children (QUALAS-C-K)

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the QUAlity of Life Assessment in Spina bifida for Children (QUALAS-C) and validate the Korean version of the QUALAS-C (QUALAS-C-K).

Materials and methods: Three urologists translated the QUALAS-C into Korean. Facial and content validity were assessed in the pilot study. Back-translation into English was performed. In the main study, the QUALAS-C-K and Korean version of KIDSCREEN-27 were administered simultaneously. Test-retest reliability was confirmed by re-administering the QUALAS-C-K. Internal consistency was verified using Cronbach's alpha. Factor analysis was performed, and convergent and divergent validity were demonstrated using the Korean version of KIDSCREEN-27.

Results: A total of 53 children with spina bifida participated in the main study. Cronbach's alpha for the overall instrument determined good internal consistency (0.72-0.85), the intraclass correlation coefficient showed good stability (0.74-0.77), and the factor analysis converged to the same two-factor structure as in the original version. Construct validity revealed weak-to-moderate associations (r ≤ 0.57) between QUALAS-C-K and K-KIDSCREEN-27, indicating that QUALAS-C-K measures different aspects of the HRQOL than K-KIDSCEEN-27.

Conclusions: The QUALAS-C-K is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the health-related quality of life of children with SB in Korea.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONHealth-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important patient-reported outcome among children with spina bifida (SB).The QUAlity of Life Assessment of Spina bifida for Children (QUALAS-C) is a self-reported, age-appropriate, and condition-specific HRQOL questionnaire for children with SB, developed in the United States.Our study demonstrated that the Korean version of the QUAlity of Life Assessment of Spina bifida for Children (QUALAS-C-K) is a valid and reliable tool.The QUALAS-C-K is a succinct and valuable questionnaire that can be used to assess HRQOL of children with SB, particularly focusing on bladder and bowel problems in clinical practice and research.