Performance of the EQ-5D-Y Interviewer Administered Version in Young Children.

Razia Amien,Desiree Scott,Janine Verstraete

doi:10.3390/children9010093

Abstract

(1) Background: An estimated 78% of South African children aged 9–10 years have not mastered basic reading, therefore potentially excluding them from self-reporting on health-related outcome measures. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the performance of the EQ-5D-Y-3L self-complete to the newly developed interviewer-administered version in children 8–10 years. (2) Methods: Children (n = 207) with chronic respiratory illnesses, functional disabilities, orthopaedic conditions and from the general population completed the EQ-5D-Y-3L self-complete and interviewer-administered versions, Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) and Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R). A functional independence measure (WeeFIM) was completed by the researcher. (3) Results: The 8-year-olds had significantly higher missing responses (x2 = 14.23, p < 0.001) on the self-complete version. Known-group and concurrent validity were comparable across dimensions, utility and VAS scores for the two versions. The dimensions showed low to moderate convergent validity with similar items on the MFQ, FPS-R and WeeFIM with significantly higher correlations between the interviewer-administered dimensions of Mobility and WeeFIM mobility total (z = 1.91, p = 0.028) and Looking After Myself and WeeFIM self-care total (z = 3.24, p = 0.001). Children preferred the interviewer-administered version (60%) (x2 = 21.87, p < 0.001) with 22% of the reasons attributed to literacy level. (4) Conclusions: The EQ-5D-Y-3L interviewer-administered version is valid and reliable in children aged 8–10 years. The results were comparable to the self-complete version indicating that versions can be used interchangeably.

Highlights

BackgroundHealth-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is a multi-faceted and subjective measure of how a person perceives their functional, social, and mental well-being in their environment [1]
There were more 8–10-year-olds who preferred the EQ-5D-Y-3L interviewer-administered version (n = 125, 60%) compared to those who preferred the EQ-5D-Y-3L self-complete (n = 77, 37%) or had no preference (n = 5, 2%) (x2 = 21.87, p < 0.001)
Based on the reasons for preference of the interviewer-administered version, this sample of children all struggled with literacy skills, and this decreased with the increasing age of the child with 25% of 8-year-olds using literacy skills as their reason followed by 23% in 9-year-olds and 18% in 10-year-olds

Summary

Introduction

BackgroundHealth-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is a multi-faceted and subjective measure of how a person perceives their functional, social, and mental well-being in their environment [1]. HRQoL can be measured using Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) by which the descriptive information generated from these PROMs can be used to guide healthcare professionals in tailoring patient interventions [2,3,4] and improving treatment outcomes [3,4]. PROMs can further be used to inform population health, clinical research studies and decision making and health technology assessment [1]. An emphasis was placed on adult HRQoL, which limited the research available in paediatric populations [5,6,7,8,9]. A contributing factor was the lack of paediatric PROMs, with more being developed, a shift to paediatric HRQoL is being seen [10]. Children who have the cognitive ability to self-report should be encouraged, as far as possible, to do so on valid and reliable PROMs [2]

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