The Validity and Reliability of the Polish Version of the PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module for Pediatric Patients (Aged 2–18)
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Health-related quality of life has come to the forefront of the process of treatment. As a non-quantitative value, it requires the use of specialized tools to be measured. Despite the availability of general HRQoL assessment tools in Polish, a specific instrument for children with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders has not been developed. This study aims to describe the linguistic validity and reliability of the Polish version of the PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module, which measured health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. <b>Methods:</b> The PedsQL™ module, originally in English, was translated according to a structured process. Professional medical translators conducted the translations, and cognitive debriefing was performed with 35 respondents. Field testing involved 371 completed questionnaires (203 adults and 168 children). <b>Results:</b> Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, with values generally exceeding 0.8 indicating high reliability. <b>Conclusions:</b> The final Polish version of the PedsQL™ GI Symptoms Module exhibits strong linguistic and content validity, making it suitable for both clinical trials and routine practice. Its use enables a comprehensive, culturally sensitive assessment of HRQoL in pediatric patients with GI disorders, thereby supporting individualized patient care and enhancing the physician-patient communication that is essential for effective treatment.
Authors
- Agnieszka Szlagatys‐Sidorkiewicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5992-4414)
- Justyna Napora (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5328-054X)
- Wojciech Nazar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-0800)
- Julia Leszkowicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2166-7018)
- Katarzyna Plata‐Nazar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9504-9848)
- Tomasz Mazurek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0636-7773)
- Magdalena Dettlaff‐Dunowska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4115-8475)
- Małgorzata Kasprowicz-Janisz
- Anna Kotarska
Institutions
- University of Gdańsk (PL)
- Gdańsk Medical University (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Published
- 2025-02-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14041227
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Digestive system and related health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.63