Validating the Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life for Children (CP QOL-Child) questionnaire for use in Chinese populations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life for Children (CP QOL-Child) questionnaire. We performed forward (into Chinese) and backward translation of the CP QOL-Child for: (1) the primary caregiver form (for parents of children with CP aged 4–12 years); and (2) the child self-report form (for children with cerebral palsy aged 9–12 years). Psychometric properties assessed included test–retest reliability, internal consistency, item discrimination, construct validity, and concordance between the forms of questionnaire. The Chinese CP QOL-Child was completed by 145 caregivers and 44 children. Excellent test–retest reliability and internal consistency were obtained. Item discrimination analysis revealed a majority of the items have moderate to good discriminating power. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated distinguishable domain structure as on the original English version. Significant associations were found between lower QOL and more severe motor disability. Consistent with the English version, the highest correlation between the primary caregiver and child forms on QOL was in the domain of functioning. Results of this study indicate that the Chinese CP QOL-Child appears to be valid for use in Mandarin-Chinese speaking children with cerebral palsy.