Niloofar Tari, Hamidreza Mahmoodi, Seyyed Hamed Hosseini, Kamran Balighi, Maryam Daneshpazhooh, , , ,
Volume 3, Issue 2 (6-2012)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Pruritus is a major symptom of dermatologic
diseases and a common symptom of systemic diseases. Severity of itch cannot be
measured objectively. It’s usually determined to using a Visual Analogue Scale
(VAS). But none of them can determine the effect of pruritus on patients'
quality of life. So in the present study we sought to translate and develop a
validated reliable Farsi version of pruritus specific quality of life
instrument, ItchyQoL.
Methods: ItchyQoL questionnaire was translated to Farsi by
two bilingual people, and then it was back-translated to English by two other
bilinguals. These two questionnaires were matched and revised and the final
Farsi questionnaire was established. Forty four patients with dermatologic
pruritus filled the questionnaire at the baseline and 72 hours later, and the
structural reliability and validity of it was analyzed.
Results: The questionnaire had internal consistency and
reproducibility. The questionnaire reliability was also analyzed by test-retest
which was significant. Construct validity was analyzed by examining the
relationship between intensity and frequency of itching with the total score in
the three main axis symptoms, which was significant in all except the
dysfunction axis.
Conclusion: The Farsi version of ItchyQoL questionnaire has favorable reliability and validity.
