Psychometric properties of the Swedish PedsQL, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 generic core scales

  1. Solveig Petersen1,
  2. Bruno Hägglöf1,
  3. Hans Stenlund2,
  4. Erik Bergström1

Article first published online: 30 JUN 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01360.x

Issue

Acta Paediatrica

Acta Paediatrica

Volume 98, Issue 9, pages 1504–1512, September 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Petersen, S., Hägglöf, B., Stenlund, H. and Bergström, E. (2009), Psychometric properties of the Swedish PedsQL, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 generic core scales. Acta Paediatrica, 98: 1504–1512. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01360.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

  2. 2

    Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

*Solveig Petersen, Division of Pediatrics, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå. Sweden. Tel: +46-70-39-25210 | Fax: +46 90-13 53 24 | Email: solveig.petersen@pediatri.umu.se

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 27 JUL 2009
  2. Article first published online: 30 JUN 2009
  3. Received 14 December 2008; revised 25 April 2009; accepted 27 April 2009.

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Keywords:

  • Child;
  • PedsQL;
  • Quality of life;
  • Sweden;
  • Validation studies

Abstract

Aim:  To study the psychometric performance of the Swedish version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 generic core scales in a general child population in Sweden.

Methods:  PedsQL forms were distributed to 2403 schoolchildren and 888 parents in two different school settings. Reliability and validity was studied for self-reports and proxy reports, full forms and short forms. Confirmatory factor analysis tested the factor structure and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis tested measurement invariance between boys and girls.

Results:  Test-retest reliability was demonstrated for all scales and internal consistency reliability was shown with α value exceeding 0.70 for all scales but one (self-report short form: social functioning). Child-parent agreement was low to moderate. The four-factor structure of the PedsQL and factorial invariance across sex subgroups were confirmed for the self-report forms and for the proxy short form, while model fit indices suggested improvement of several proxy full-form scales.

Conclusion:  The Swedish PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales are a reliable and valid tool for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment in Swedish child populations. The proxy full form, however, should be used with caution. The study also support continued use of the PedsQL as a four-factor model, capable of revealing meaningful HRQoL differences between boys and girls.

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