973
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Validation of the Finnish FACE-Q for use in patients undergoing surgery for functional problems or malignancy

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, , ORCID Icon &
Pages 270-276 | Received 28 May 2021, Accepted 02 Aug 2021, Published online: 24 Aug 2021
 

Abstract

The aim of this study was to produce a Finnish version of the FACE-Q scales Satisfaction with Forehead and Eyebrows, Adverse effects: Forehead, Eyebrows and Scalp, and Adverse effects: Cheeks, Lower face and Neck, and assess the performance of these scales and the Satisfaction with Facial Appearance, Satisfaction with Outcome and Appearance-related Psychosocial Distress in patients who had undergone surgery for functional problems or malignancy affecting the forehead or cheeks. The general health-related outcomes instrument 15 D was used as a reference. Patients who had undergone a frontal lift, a direct brow lift, a facelift or an excision of a facial tumor in Helsinki University Hospital plastic surgery department in 2009–2019 were identified. A postal survey study was conducted with 305 patients, of whom 135 (44%) responded. Diagnoses included facial nerve dysfunction (53%), brow ptosis (21%) and skin, mucosal or salivary gland tumor (20%). The FACE-Q scales displayed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas ≥0.80) and good reliability on repeat administration. The exploratory factor analysis revealed unifactorial influences for all scales except the Adverse effects: Forehead, Eyebrows and Scalp. Weak correlations with 15 D dimensions were detected. The FACE-Q scales evaluated here are suitable for use in patients with functional problems or malignancy.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank members of the Q-Portfolio team for their contribution to the translation process. The translated FACE-Q scales are available free of charge for clinical and research use at the Q-portfolio website [Citation28].

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from Helsinki University Musculoskeletal and Plastic Surgery Research Centre.