Abstract
Objective Improvements in survival after childhood cancer have increased emphasis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of survivors. We developed the Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life-Youth Form (MMQL-YF) as a standardized patient self-report instrument designed to assess HRQoL in childhood cancer survivors between the ages of 8 and 12 years. Study design To validate the instrument, the MMQL-YF was administered to 643 children (481 healthy, 162 with cancer). Factor analysis was conducted to refine the instrument, and Cronbach's α coefficient was used to measure its internal reliability. Known-groups validity was determined by comparing healthy children with those with cancer. Construct validity was studied by a comparison of similar domains in the MMQL-YF and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ). Stability was tested by re-administration of the MMQL-YF 2 weeks later. Results Internal consistency reliability was in the acceptable range for this instrument. The MMQL-YF was able to distinguish between known groups, and its scales correlated highly with similar CHQ domains. Test-retest reliability showed that the instrument was extremely stable in all scales tested. Conclusion Data provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the MMQL-YF as a comprehensive, multidimensional, self-report instrument for measuring HRQoL among childhood cancer survivors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 39-46 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Pediatrics |
Volume | 145 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2004 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported in part by the Children's Oncology Group grant 1 U10 CA098543-01.
Keywords
- CHQ
- Child Health Questionnaire
- HRQoL
- Health-related quality of life
- MMQL-YF
- Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life-Youth Form