Psychometric properties of the Chinese quality of life instrument (HK version) in Chinese and Western medicine primary care settings

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Liver Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (LDQOL 1.0)

AIM: To evaluate the reliability and validity of Chinese version of Liver Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (LDQOL 1.0)

METHODS: This was an observational, cross-sectional study in Chinese patients from Beijing University Shenzhen Hospital. Feasibility was assessed by analyzing administration times and missing responses. Ceiling and flooring effects were calculated and reliability was tested by examining internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). Convergent validity was tested by examining correlations between LDQOL disease specific and Short Form health survey with 36 questions (SF-36) dimensions.

RESULTS: A total of 48 patients were included for analysis. Mean age was 39.3 years and 73% of the sample were male. Mean time to complete questionnaire was 35.8 min ±12.2 min. Missing responses were highest on the dimensions of sexual functioning. Ceiling effects were over 20% on 1 of the LDQOL's 12 disease-specific scales. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were over 0.70 on all but 6 dimensions. Correlations between SF-36 and LDQOL disease-specific dimensions generally fulfilled the hypotheses.

CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of the LDQOL 1.0 has shown satisfactory reliability and validity.

Trigeminal neurosensory deficit and patient reported outcome measures: the effect on quality of life

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effect of persistent neurosensory disturbance of the lingual nerve (LN) or inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) on general health and oral health- related quality of life (QoL).

METHODS

The study design was a case-control study. Patients with persistent neurosensory deficit of LN or IAN after lower third molar surgery (for 12 months or more) were the study group. The control group was an age and gender matched sample of patients who had dental extractions or lower third molar surgeries without trigeminal neurosensory deficit. The outcome variables were the general health and oral health-related QoL. General health-related QoL was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and oral health-related QoL using the 14-item Short Form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Differences in SF-36 scores and OHIP-14 scores between the groups were compared.

RESULTS

Forty-eight subjects (24 cases and 24 controls) were recruited. When compared to the control group, patients with neurosensory deficits had poorer Mental-Health Component Scores (MCS) (p = 0.005), General Health (p = 0.023), Vitality (p = 0.048), Social Functioning (p = 0.003), Role-emotion (p = 0.008) and Mental Health (p = 0.022). The OHIP-14 scores were also significantly worse in this patients with neurosensory deficits compared with the control group (p = 0.002). When compared within the study group, older patient with neurosensory deficit was found to correlate with worse Physical Health Component Scores (PCS) (p = 0.02) and OHIP-14 scores (p = 0.02), while more severe visualized analog scaling rating of numbness was correlated with a worse PCS (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with persistent LN or IAN deficit after lower third molar surgery have poorer health-related QoL and poorer oral health-related QoL than those without such deficits.