Validation of the Danish version of the disease specific instrument EORTC QLQ-CR38 to assess Health-related quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

BackgroundThe European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life colorectal questionnaire module (QLQ-CR38) was developed in 1999, and an update, the QLQ CR29 was published recently. To date the Danish version of the questionnaire has not been validated. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Danish version of EORTC QLQ-CR38.MethodsEORTC QLQ-CR38 was administered to 190 patients with colorectal cancer in two Danish hospitals, one month after their operation. A psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire’s structure, reliability, convergent, divergent and known-groups validity was performed.ResultsData from 164 (86.3%) patients were available for analysis. The Danish version of EORTC QLQ-CR38 showed satisfactory psychometric properties for the scales: body image, sexual functioning, male sexual problems and defecations problems. Suboptimal psychometric performances were found for the scales: micturition problems, symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract and weight loss. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the scale chemotherapy side effects was limited by the low number of patients receiving chemotherapy. It was not possible to assess the psychometric properties of the scale female sexual problems and the single item sexual enjoyment due to a high number of missing values. The homogeneity of the study population made the evaluation of known-group validity difficult.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that the validity of the Danish version of EORTC QLQ-CR38 is acceptable. Furthermore, the results support the appropriateness of the updated version, the EORTC QLQ-CR29.

The EORTC QLQ-CR29 quality of life questionnaire for colorectal cancer: validation of the Dutch version

“…The patients in our sample scored markedly lower than those in the Spanish study, likely reflecting in part cultural values about body image and sexuality. Dysuria had similar high floor effects in the Spanish [ 5 ] and Danish [ 6 ] studies. We recommend additional assessment of the items urinary incontinence and dysuria, which showed poor reliability and item performance.…”

“…Later validation studies were reported for the Polish [ 4 ] and Spanish [ 5 ] versions. Validation of the Danish QLQ-CR38 [ 6 ] suggested the QLQ-CR29 to be more valid than the QLQ-CR38. In the Spanish QLQ-CR29, the blood and mucus scale was not confirmed; in the Polish only the body image scale was reliable, and the urinary incontinence scale approached acceptable reliability.…”

Traditional and Rasch psychometric analyses of the Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors (QLACS) questionnaire in shorter-term cancer survivors 15months post-diagnosis

“…A high rate of non-response to questions about sexual functioning is a common research finding (e.g. [62][63][64]), no doubt due to the highly personal nature of the topic. The large number of missing responses for item 15, which enquires about reluctance to "start new relationships", may indicate that many participants interpreted this question as enquiring about romantic or sexual relationships, rather than platonic friendships.…”

Validation of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-CR29 to assess quality of life in colorectal cancer patients

“…The initial 6 scales and 11 items construct of the QLQ-CR29 was reformatted into the final structure of 4 scales and 17 items. Thaysen et al have summarized that EORTC QLQ-CR29 contains 17 unchanged questionnaire items from the QLQ-CR38, 5 reworded items, and 7 new items [ 24 ].…”