MEASURING QUALITY OF LIFE IN GREEK CHILDREN: FIRST PSYCHOMETRIC RESULTS OF THE GREEK VERSION OF THE PEDIATRIC QUALITY OF LIFE INVENTORY (PEDSQL) 4.0 GENERIC CORE SCALES

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life concerning children is a growing field of research. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) is a promising instrument that is available in age-appropriate versions and parallel forms for both children and their parents. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Greek translation of the PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales in a sample of healthy children. METHODS: After a successful pilot test, the Greek PedsQL was used in a cross-sectional study of 645 healthy 8- to 12-year-old schoolchildren and 567 of their caregivers within the framework of the European project (KIDSCREEN). Reliability of the instrument was assessed by Cronbach's α. Construct validity was assessed by exploring the intercorrelations between the 4 PedsQL subscales and between self- and proxy-report subscales. Impact of gender, health status, and socioeconomic class was detected. RESULTS: All PedsQL scales showed satisfactory reliability (>.70). Correlations among self-report subscales and between self- and proxy-report subscales were significant. Girls reported lower health-related quality of life than boys on the emotional-functioning subscale. There were significant differences in scores between low and high socioeconomic groups. Healthy children scored significantly higher on all self- and proxy-report scales. CONCLUSIONS: The PedsQL Greek version for children 8 to 12 years old is a valid and reliable instrument, replicating some of the earlier findings of the original version. The Greek PedsQL 4.0 version will be a valuable tool that can be used effectively in quality-of-life measurement in Greek clinical trials and population-based exercises.