Validation and Cultural Adaptation of the Polish Version of the 24-Item Early Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire (EOSQ-24)

<b>Background</b>: The negative impact of spinal deformities on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is well known. One goal of early onset scoliosis (EOS) treatment is to improve HRQoL for patients and reduce the burden on the family. The aim of the study was to carry on the process of cultural adaptation of the English version of the Early Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire 24 (EOSQ-24) into Polish. <b>Methods</b>: The Polish version of the EOSQ-24 -PL was applied to fifty EOS patients: age 7.5 ± 2.3 years and Cobb angle 24.6 ± 8.5 degrees. The sample included 36 patients with idiopathic, thirteen with congenital, and one with neuromuscular scoliosis. The parental assessment considered each item of the EOSQ-24 relevant to their child's health condition. EOSQ consists of 24 question items, divided into domains. Transformed scores vary from 0 to 100; lower scores denote a lower quality of life. The reliability (internal consistency, test-retest reliability), floor and ceiling effects, and discriminative validity of the Polish version of the EOSQ-24 were calculated. Internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach alpha coefficient. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC_2.1). <b>Results</b>: All items and domains showed very good global internal consistencies (Cronbach's alpha 0.901 and 0.823, respectively). There was no floor effect, and a ceiling effect ranged from 0 to 62%. The ICC_2.1 values ranged from 0.74 to 0.98, indicating good to excellent agreement. <b>Conclusions</b>: The EOSQ-24-PL is a reliable tool for the psychometric assessment of children with EOS and the family burden.