Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Korean modified version of the QUAlity of Life Assessment in Spina bifida for Young Adults (QAULAS-YA-Km)

Abstract

Purpose

The QUAlity of Life Assessment in Spina bifida (QUALAS) for adults (QUALAS-A) evaluates the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), reflecting the condition specificity of adults with spina bifida (SB). The study’s purpose was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the QUALAS-A into Korean and validate a Korean-modified version of the QUALAS for Young Adults (QUALAS-YA-Km).

Method

Face and content validity were evaluated in the pilot study. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were confirmed in the main study. Factor analysis was performed, and convergent and divergent validity was verified using the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF).

Results

Forty-seven adults had myelomeningocele. Five items with low communality were deleted through the factor analysis, and the domains were renamed. The QUALAS-YA-Km showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.73–0.83) and excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.84–0.89). The QUALAS-YA-Km showed good convergent and divergent validity, with weak to strong correlations with the WHOQOL-BREF.

Conclusions

Developed with consideration of Korea’s cultural characteristics, the QUALAS-YA-Km is a convenient and reliable instrument, with good internal consistency, stability, and construct validity. This can be a useful tool in clinical and research settings for HRQOL optimization in young adults with SB.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Optimizing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is one of the goals of people with spina bifida (SB), which requires HRQOL measurements that reflect the condition specificity of SB

• The QUAlity of Life Assessment of Spina bifida for Adults (QUALAS-A) is a self-reported HRQOL questionnaire for adults with SB developed in the United States, which is used in research and clinical practice

• The present study revealed that the Korean modified version of the QUAlity of Life Assessment of Spina bifida for Young Adults (QUALAS-YA-Km), developed in consideration of the cultural characteristics of Korea, is a valid, convenient, and reliable tool

• The QUALAS-YA-Km, is a useful tool that can be used in clinical and research settings for HRQOL optimization in adults with SB

Keywords:

• Spinal dysraphism
• quality of life
• questionnaires
• reliability
• validity
• cross-culture

Acknowledgements

We thank Professor Sang Won Han of Department of Urology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, and Severance Children’s Spina Bifida Clinic for help in recruiting participants.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the 2019 Faculty-Student Research Fund of the College of Nursing and the Mo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute at Yonsei University (6-2019-0163), and the Brain Korea 21 FOUR Project funded by National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea, Yonsei University College of Nursing.