Abstract
This study presents additional psychometric testing of the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Kids (IWQOL-Kids) with aims to establish distribution-based minimal clinically important difference scores (MCIDs) and evaluate test-retest reliability. Participants (N=263) represent a pooled sample of treatment-seeking obese adolescents (aged 11–19 years) from four large studies examining health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychosocial outcomes (MzBMI=2.6± 0.4; Mage=15.1±1.9; 64% female; 51% Black, 46% White). Adolescents completed the IWQOL-Kids©. Standard errors of measurement, which represent the MCID for each scale, were: Physical Comfort=8.8; Body Esteem=7.7; Social Life=8.1; Family Relations=6.2; Total QOL=4.8. Test-retest reliabilities ranged from 0.75–0.88. These data provide further support for the excellent psychometric properties of the IWQOL-Kids. In addition, preliminary MCIDs for IWQOL-Kids scales have now been established, which can be used in clinical trials.
Acknowledgements
Funding/Support
This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health including a post-doctoral training grant (T32 DK063929), awarded to the first author and grants awarded to the second author (K23-DK60031; R03 DK0788901). Additional resources were provided by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center – General Clinical Research Center, which is supported in part by USPHS Grant #M01 RR 08084 from the General Clinical Research Centers Program, National Center for Research Resources/NIH.
We extend our thanks to the children and their families who participated in this study. We would also like to thank the research assistants and summer students who were instrumental in recruiting participants and collecting data, including Christina Ramey, Lindsay Wilson, Carrie Piazza-Waggoner, Julie Koumoutsos, Sarah Valentine, Stephanie Ridel, Kate Grampp, Ambica Tumkur, Rachel Jordan, Matt Flanigan, Neha Godiwala, Susannah Coaston, Brendan Flanagan, and Erin Gartner.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.