Psychometric properties of disease-specific health-related quality of life instruments for food allergy: A COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments-based systematic review.

Abstract

Food allergies severely impact the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients and their caregivers (family or informal caregivers). Currently there is no comprehensive review to provide an overview and critical assessment of the instruments in the field. Six databases were searched from inception until 10 August 2023, and a combination of subject terms and free words was used to search the literature. We used the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments methodology (COSMIN) to evaluate the measurement properties of the instruments. Forty-one studies reported on ten eligible instruments. Based on COSMIN guidelines, one instrument was recommended for Grade A, and the remaining nine instruments were recommended for Grade B. The Grade A instrument identified, the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF), can help researchers assess the effectiveness of treatment for patients with food allergy and to understand the psychosocial impact of the disease on patients.