Cultural validation of the post-Liver transplant quality of life (pLTQ) questionnaire for the Brazilian population.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE:

The post-Liver Transplant Quality of Life (pLTQ) questionnaire, developed in the United States, is a disease-targeted instrument designed to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in liver transplant recipients. Our study sought to validate a version of the pLTQ for use in the Brazilian population. Translation and cross-cultural adaptation were carried out in accordance with international standard practices for questionnaire validation. Validity was measured by means of convergent validity (correlations between pLTQ domains and WHOQOL-Bref domains). Reliability was assessed by measurement of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient), reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient), sensitivity to change (effect size), and floor and ceiling effects.

RESULTS:

The study sample comprised 160 liver transplant recipients, with a mean age of 56.9 ± 10.4 years, treated at a tertiary hospital in Southern Brazil. The sample was largely male (62.5%), and the predominant indication for liver transplant was hepatocellular carcinoma (49.4%). Only two questionnaire items were modified during the translation and cross-cultural validation stage. The mean total pLTQ score was 5.58 ± 0.9, with < 20% floor/ceiling effect. Correlations between pLTQ and WHOQOL-Bref domains were acceptable (r = 0.37-0.40). For similar dimensions, the correlations between WHOQOL-Bref and pLTQ were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001). Cronbach's alpha for the total score was 0.91 (95% CI 0.89-0.93), with a range of 0.51 to 0.77 across domains. Reproducibility was 0.90, and sensitivity to change was 0.84.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, the Brazilian Portuguese versión of the pLTQ exhibited good psychometric performance, suggesting that it can be a useful tool in the Brazilian cultural context.

• Authors: Cibele Molski, Rita Mattiello, Edgar E Sarria, Sammy Saab, Renata Medeiros, Ajacio Brandão
• Journal: Annals of hepatology (Ann Hepatol) 2016 May-Jun Vol. 15 Issue 3 Pg. 377-85 ISSN: 1665-2681 [Print] Mexico
• PMID: 27049491 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Validation Study)

Topics

• Aged
• Brazil
• Cultural Characteristics
• Female
• Humans
• Liver Transplantation (adverse effects, psychology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Patient Outcome Assessment
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Psychometrics
• Quality of Life
• Reproducibility of Results
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Translating
• Treatment Outcome