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PubMed2001

Screening properties of questionnaires and laboratory tests for the detection of alcohol abuse or dependence in a general practice population.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of alcohol abuse or dependence is important in general practice because many diseases are influenced by alcohol. General practitioners, however, fail to recognise most patients with alcohol problems. AIM: To assess the diagnostic performance of the CAGE and AUDIT questionnaires, their derivatives, and laboratory tests in screening for alcohol abuse or dependence in a primary care population (male and female patients), attending their general practitioner (GP). DESIGN OF STUDY: A diagnostic cross-sectional study. SETTING: A random sample of patients who were over 18 years of age (n = 1992) attending 69 general practices situated in the same region in Belgium. METHOD: Alcohol questionnaires (CIDI 1.1, section I, CAGE, AUDIT, AUDIT-C, Five-Shot, and AUDIT Piccinelli) were completed, demographic information was recorded, and patients underwent conventional blood tests, including mean corpuscular volume, liver function tests, the gamma-glutamyl transferase test, and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT, estimated using %CDT). Calculations of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, odds ratios with their 95% CIs, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for different scores of the questionnaires and laboratory tests, using DSM-III-R as the reference standard. RESULTS: The past-year prevalence of alcohol abuse or dependence in this population was 8.9% (178/1992) of which there were 132 male and 45 female patients attending a general practice. The GPs identified 33.5% of patients with alcohol abuse or dependence. Among male patients, all questionnaires had reasonable sensitivities between 68% and 93% and hence at lower cut-points than recommended. Only the sensitivity of the CAGE, even at its lowest cut-point of > or = 1 was lower (62%). In female patients the sensitivities were lower; however, odds ratios were higher for different questionnaires. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves did not differ between the questionnaires. The laboratory tests had low diagnostic accuracy with areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) between 0.60 and 0.67 for female patients and 0.57 and 0.65 for male patients. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the largest known studies on alcohol abuse or dependence among family care practices. We confirm earlier results that the AUDIT questionnaire seems equally appropriate for males and females; however, screening properties among male patients are higher. Nevertheless, the Five-Shot questionnaire is shorter and easier to use in a general practice setting and has nearly the same diagnostic properties in male and female general practice patient populations. We confirm that conventional laboratory tests are of no use for detecting alcohol abuse or dependence in a primary care setting. Also, the %CDT cannot been used as a screening instrument in this general practice population.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed2002

Questionnaires for rapid screening of schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa.

New initiatives are aiming to reduce the global burden of schistosomiasis, mainly through the large-scale application of chemotherapy. To target chemotherapy effectively, rapid assessment procedures are needed for identifying high-risk communities that are foci for the disease. In this review, we examine the development and validation of simple school questionnaires for screening communities for Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni rapidly and inexpensively. The focus is on sub-Saharan Africa, where 85% of the current schistosomiasis burden is concentrated. For more than a decade, the questionnaire approach has been validated in 10 countries, with 133 880 children interviewed in 1282 schools, and with 54 996 children examined for S. haematobium. The questionnaires were well accepted, highly reliable, and of low cost. The success of the questionnaires is explained by the fact that S. haematobium infections were easily perceived through the presence of blood in urine. Evidence from 48 258 children interviewed in 545 schools indicated that reported blood in stools and bloody diarrhoea are valuable indicators for community diagnosis of S. mansoni. However, the diagnostic performance of the questionnaires for S. mansoni was weaker than for S. haematobium, and although these results are encouraging, the questionnaires need additional validation. Recently, questionnaires were extended from community to individual diagnosis and showed considerable promise. Questionnaires are now available for promptly defining the magnitude of schistosomiasis in a large area, which will allow limited resources for morbidity control to be allocated optimally.

Africa South of the Sahara↗

PubMed2003

Translation and cultural adaptation of quality of life questionnaires: an evaluation of methodology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the methodological steps currently proposed in translation and cultural adaptation of quality of life questionnaires. METHODS: Fifty patients with rheumatoid arthritis were invited to participate. Two versions each of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), the MOS 36 Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (AIMS-2) were administered: version 1 was a literal translation of the questionnaire; version 2 resulted from a process of translation and cultural adaptation following internationally accepted guidelines. For each patient we applied 2 questionnaires before and after consultation. The questionnaire, the order of administration, and the version were randomly assigned. The interviews were performed by a single interviewer. Several clinical and laboratory outcome measures were assessed simultaneously. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to characterize the data. Spearman and intraclass correlation coefficients were used to evaluate reliability and validity of each version of each questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients' mean (SD) age was 47 (12) years and mean (SD) disease duration was 10 (7) years. The differences of the mean in the physical and affective AIMS-2 components between the literal and adapted versions (0.21 and 0.11, respectively) were similar to the differences in the intraobserver application of the same version of culturally adapted AIMS-2 components (0.03 and 0.20) (the component scores range from 0 to 10). The same results were observed when considering other components of AIMS and SF-36, as well as HAQ scores. Version 1 and 2 presented a similar clinically and statistically significant correlation with clinical and laboratory measures used in the validation process of the questionnaires. CONCLUSION: The complex methodologies proposed in the translation and validation of the questionnaires should be carefully reevaluated. The simplification of this methodology should be studied.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Measuring self-reported functional status and pain in patients with chronic low back pain by postal questionnaires: a reliability study.

STUDY DESIGN: A reliability study was performed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the test-retest reliability of self-reported functional status and pain in chronic low back pain patients by postal questionnaires. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Evaluation tools focusing on the patients' self-reported physical function are recommended in studies on low back pain. Postal questionnaires are inexpensive and should be considered to assess long-term results. The reliability of a postal questionnaire has not been assessed in patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: Forty-two patients with chronic low back pain (15 men, 27 women; mean age, 40 years; range, 20-61 years) agreed to participate in the study. The mean duration of symptoms was 8.9 years (range, 1-40 years). A postal questionnaire was sent to the patients twice within a 2-week interval. The questionnaire included the following items: work, back satisfaction, General Function Score (GFS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), pain, fear-avoidance beliefs, life satisfaction and pain medication. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients (88%) returned both questionnaires. Except for lumbar pain, there were no statistical differences between the answers from the two questionnaires. The intraclass coefficient values ranged from 0.70 (lumbar pain) to 0.94 (ODI). The repeatability or absolute size of measurement error was 11.9 for the ODI and 28.6 and 34.2 for lumbar and leg pain, respectively. The kappa values for work, back satisfaction, and pain medication were 0.94 and 0.61, 0.62, and 0.64, respectively. The kappa values for the separate items in the GFS ranged from 0.41 to 0.79. The correlations between ODI and the GFS, lumbar pain, life satisfaction, and back satisfaction were 0.35, -0.72, -0.76, and 0.76, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ODI was highly reliable. The questions about work, back satisfaction, and pain medication showed good agreement. The GFS, pain intensity, fear-avoidance beliefs, and life satisfaction appeared to lack sufficient reliability to be recommended in postal questionnaires.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2003

Translation and cultural adaptation of health questionnaires.

BACKGROUND: Health research in Pakistan often requires questionnaires in English language developed in the West to be translated into the local language. Many of the factors measured by these questionnaires are complex and apply to a different culture. Simple translations may lead to problems of validity and reliability in the Pakistani setting. This paper describes the strategies adopted for the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ), a screening questionnaire for mental health developed by the World Health Organisation. METHODS: A general protocol was developed for translation of questionnaires into Urdu, describing each step in the translation procedure. Key informant interviews were carried out to obtain better cultural understanding of difficult concepts. The translation was tested and disputed items discussed in a focus group in a structured manner. RESULTS: Modifications were made to the questionnaire in light of the target population's culture and language. CONCLUSION: Simple translations are often insufficient for complex questionnaires. Key informant interviews and focus groups are useful to address conceptual and construct issues in such questionnaires.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗

PubMed1992

Accuracy of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire applied in elderly Norwegian women.

The accuracy (reproducibility and relative validity) of a self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire including 180 food items was evaluated. A total of 38 elderly women kept multiple weighed diet records for a total of 14 days over a 6-week period and filled in the questionnaire both before and after this period. Spearman rank correlations between the nutrient intakes from the two questionnaires varied from 0.43 for carbohydrate to 0.88 for energy percentage from alcohol. The median correlation was 0.70. Seven women whose recorded average energy intake was less than 1.17 times their measured basal metabolic rate were excluded from the analysis comparing the questionnaire and the diet records. The first questionnaire gave on the average 10% higher nutrient median values than the records, while the second questionnaire did not in general produce higher values. Unadjusted correlation coefficients comparing intakes measured by the two methods ranged from 0.31 for vitamin C to 0.79 for energy percentage from carbohydrate, the median coefficient being 0.61. On the average 77% of the subjects were classified in the same (+/- 1) quintile in the first food frequency questionnaire and the diet records. The present study indicates that the self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire is useful for measuring individual or group intakes for a variety of nutrients.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

The use of a videotaped questionnaire for studying asthma prevalence. A pilot study among New Zealand adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of measuring asthma prevalence by means of an audio-visual presentation of asthma symptoms and signs (video questionnaire) and to compare this technique with a standard written questionnaire for predicting bronchial hyperresponsiveness. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study comparing the ability of a video questionnaire and a written, interviewer administered questionnaire to predict bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Bronchial responsiveness was measured with hand held nebulisers. SETTING: Community survey of a New Zealand rural secondary school. SUBJECTS: A total of 456 adolescent school children aged 12-19 years (mean 15.5 years). OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of a standard questionnaire versus a video questionnaire for bronchial hyperresponsiveness. RESULTS: The technique was easy to administer in the community setting. Overall sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of bronchial hyperresponsiveness were similar for the video and interviewer administered questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: This new technique is easily used in the community setting, and gives predictions of bronchial hyperresponsiveness similar to those of a standard interviewer administered questionnaire. Further examination of the technique in comparisons of asthma prevalence among different populations is planned.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

The development of a questionnaire to measure the severity of symptoms and the quality of life before and after surgery for stress incontinence.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a short questionnaire recording the severity of symptoms and the quality of life, pre- and post-operatively, in women undergoing surgery for stress incontinence. DESIGN: The questionnaire was designed from previously designed questionnaires and pilot studies. In this study, it was tested for validity and reliability using standard psychometric techniques. Data from the questionnaire are reported to a national database, which generates reports for comparison of surgical procedures, departments and surgeons. SETTING: Tertiary referral urogynaecology units at Baerum and Aker Hospitals, Norway, and 22 Norwegian departments of gynaecology. POPULATION: Fifty and 65 women with stress incontinence from Baerum and Aker hospitals, respectively, and 628 women with stress incontinence from 22 Norwegian departments of gynaecology. METHODS: Stress Incontinence, Urge Incontinence and Quality of Life Indices were constructed. Internal consistency of the indices was measured by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability by Bland-Altman plots. Stress Incontinence Index was tested against stress test and Urge Incontinence Index and Stress Incontinence Index were tested against the 24-hour pad test. Quality of Life Index was tested against a part of the King's College Hospital Quality of Life Questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Face and content validity. Missing values of the questionnaire. Reliability and internal consistency. Criterion validity. RESULTS: The 628 women completed a mean of 98.2% of all the questions. The content validity was good. The reliability was good in terms of test-retest reliability and internal consistency. The criterion validity of stress and urge incontinence was tested against the stress and 24 hour pad tests. The correlation between the indices and the objective tests was moderate. The correlation between the Quality of Life Index and the physical and social part of the previously validated King's College Hospital questionnaire was good. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire is easy to understand and complete and is a valid and reliable instrument for assessment of the symptoms of incontinence and the quality of life. Pre- and post-operative evaluation of women with stress incontinence was performed in a standardised setting in 22 of the 37 Norwegian departments and the reporting to a national database was successful. Comparison of surgical procedures, departments and surgeons is possible.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

A questionnaire for measuring patient satisfaction to general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Measurement of patient satisfaction to general anesthesia needs a valid and reliable tool to cover all dimensions of satisfaction. However, there is no standard tool in a Thai version for measurement of this satisfaction. The objective of this study was to develop a valid and reliable tool for measurement of patient satisfaction to general anesthesia. METHOD: Review of the medical literature and patients' interviews were performed to generate the ideas and dimensions of satisfaction. Items were generated according to customer satisfaction. The pilot questionnaire was set and verified for content validity by item correlation. One item of low item correlation was deleted. The pilot study was performed by application of the pilot questionnaire to patients to detect problems on processes to derive responses and problems of the questionnaire. Another two items were excluded due to high missing responses. The results of reliability analysis were satisfactory. Revision of the pilot questionnaire was taken eventually into the final questionnaire. Then, the final questionnaire was processed to obtain Cronbach's alpha coefficient at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. Finally, retest for reliability was taken at Police General Hospital in order to prove its generalization. RESULTS: The constructed final questionnaire composed of ten items. All item correlations were higher than 0.5. Cronbach's alpha coefficients obtained in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and Police General Hospital were 0.8775 and 0.7571, respectively. CONCLUSION: The developed questionnaire was qualified for both validity and reliability. Also verified for the wide application in another hospital.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

BSP-PC (Bononian Satisfaction Profile--Prostate Cancer): development and validation of a "disease-specific" questionnaire for the evaluation of health-related quality of life in patients with prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common neoplasia in men over 50 years of age in western countries. Nowadays, since there are several alternative medical-surgical treatments for this cancer, health-related quality of life (HQoL) evaluation has become very important. The present study deals with the development and the validation of a questionnaire (BSP-PC), considering the HQoL in prostate cancer patients. The BSP-PC items are mainly related to the subjects' satisfaction. As far as we know, it does not exist any disease specific instrument based on such aspect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaire development: During three different meetings, with ten experts and twenty patients, we have defined the life aspects which are the most affected by prostate cancer. Subsequently we have created a first 40-item version of the BSP-PC. Patients were asked to fill in this particular questionnaire in addition to a generic and validated one (the EuroQol). A final 24 item questionnaire version, was finally achieved by other statistical analysis and meetings with experts. Questionnaire validation: the BSP-PC was filled in by 261 patients divided into 3 groups: "healthy" (57), "prostate cancer" (103), "other diseases" (100). RESULTS: Questionnaire development: participants' mean age was 59 years (N=71); 46% had prostate cancer, while 53% of the sample did not report notable diseases. The 24 items were selected on the basis of the following criteria: a) r>0.50, p<0.05 (correlation test re-test), b) p<0.05 (ANOVA presence vs absence of PC), c) r>0.50, p<0.05 (correlation with EuroQol). Questionnaire validation: participants' mean age was 68 years (N=261). Four factors were identified: 1) satisfaction about physical functionality (Crombach alpha=0.95), 2) satisfaction about sexual functionality (alpha=0.94), 3) satisfaction about social functionality (alpha=0.77), 4) satisfaction about urinary functionality (alpha=0.89); total Crombach alpha was 0.94. CONCLUSIONS: The BSP-PC questionnaire can be used as an instrument in the evaluation of HQoL in PC patients by principally considering their subjective satisfaction.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

Approaches and informatics tools to assist in the integration of similar clinical research questionnaires.

OBJECTIVE: The integration of similar clinical research questionnaires is a complex process that can benefit from informatics approaches and tools that provide a systematic structure for performing mapping and integration. This systematic approach is necessary to address complex issues in integration such as data heterogeneity, differing levels of granularity of questions and responses, and other issues involving semantic differences. Informatics tools and approaches have been successfully applied to various standard clinical vocabulary integration processes but not for questionnaire integration or mapping. METHODS: A systematic approach to questionnaire integration was developed in the context of a collaboration of researchers using Trial/DB, a database designed to support clinical research. This approach was applied to the integration of questionnaires involving breast cancer risk factors from each of three research sites. RESULTS: From 375 questions on the three original questionnaires, we identified 65 concepts that were measured by two or three of the sites. An algorithm was developed and used to formalize the process of mapping questions and answers across the questionnaires. The approach was applied to previously collected data and prospective data in disparate data-base systems to import and merge the data from these three sites into Trial/DB. CONCLUSION: Informatics tools that support a systematic approach to mapping questionnaires can be used throughout the research process from questionnaire integration and creation, legacy data integration to data library maintenance and curation.

Biomedical Research↗

PubMed1992

Comparison of two dietary questionnaires validated against multiple dietary records collected during a 1-year period.

The validity of two dietary history questionnaires was examined, one the Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ) developed by Block et al and the other a questionnaire developed by investigators at the University of Michigan (UM). The reference data consisted of the mean of four 4-day dietary records and recalls collected for 1 year before administration of the questionnaires. The sample of 85 persons included black and white men and women aged 25 to 50 years. The HHHQ was entirely self-administered; the UM questionnaire had both self- and interviewer-administered components. The HHHQ group means were similar to food record estimates for energy and most nutrients, whereas the UM questionnaire produced overestimates for energy and all nutrients examined. Correlations ranged from .31 to .60 (median = .48) for the UM questionnaire and from .42 to .68 (median = .57) for the HHHQ. Use of respondent-reported portion sizes with the HHHQ produced higher correlations than use of investigator-determined "standard" portion sizes (median r = .43 vs .57). Food frequency questionnaires can provide useful nutrient data for individuals as well as groups.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Hidden psychiatric illness: use of the general health questionnaire in general practice.

A 10% random sample comprising 234 adults attending a general practitioner was studied to obtain an estimate of conspicuous and hidden psychiatric morbidity and to determine the value of the general health questionnaire in improving case recognition in general practice. Patients completed the 28-item general health questionnaire before seeing the general practitioner, who completed a rating sheet without seeing the general health questionnaire score. The doctor identified a psychiatric component in 38% of men and 53% of women and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in 22% of men and 31% of women. Using a cut off point of nine or above, high general health questionnaire scores were found in 25% of men and 29% of women. Agreement between the general health questionnaire and the doctor's assessment was better for males (misclassification rate 16%) than for females (20%). A subsample of patients scoring over the recommended threshold (five or above) on the general health questionnaire were interviewed by the psychiatrist to compare the case detection of the general practitioner, an independent psychiatric assessment and the 28-item general health questionnaire at two different cut-off scores. The general health questionnaire may be a useful tool for improving recognition of psychiatric morbidity in general practice if the cut-off point is raised above that recommended for epidemiological research.

Family Practice↗

PubMed1995

Evaluation of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire used in a group of Norwegian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The study was conducted to assess the reproducibility and validity of a 190-item self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire, used in a nation-wide study of adolescents. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Reproducibility study; 103 11th grade students (18 years) completed the questionnaire twice, with a 6-week interval. Validation study; 49 11th grade students filled in the questionnaire and kept 7-day weighed food records. RESULTS: Spearman rank correlations between the nutrient intakes from the two questionnaires varied from 0.63 (sugar energy percentage) to 0.91 (alcohol). The median coefficient was 0.85. The first questionnaire produced generally higher nutrient intake estimates than the second. Correlations between nutrient intake values from the records and the questionnaire ranged from 0.14 (vitamin D, non-significant, cod liver oil not included) to 0.66 (monounsaturated fatty acids). The median coefficient was 0.52. Adjustment for energy intake did not materially affect the correlations. On average 41% of the subjects were classified in the same quartile in the questionnaire and the records, and 2% in the opposite quartiles. However, the percentage of subjects in the same/opposite quartiles for vitamin D and fibre were 33/12 and 22/6, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the questionnaire is able to rank subjects according to the tested nutrients, except vitamin D and fibre.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Short temperament questionnaire for children aged 8-12 years in the city of Rome.

The assessment of temperament is usually measured by means of parental questionnaires. Since temperament questionnaires in children aged 8-12 years do not exist in Italy we planned a study to develop an Italian questionnaire. Initially we tried to adapt Hegvik et al.'s questionnaire and delivered 389 questionnaires to the mothers of children aged 8-12 years, but most of them were given back uncompleted, essentially because they often described behavior not usually observed in Italian children. Then we prepared a new, short (30 items) questionnaire which we distributed to 431 mothers of children aged 8-12 years. This new questionnaire was completed by 98.76% of mothers and a high three week rating-re-rating reliability for the different temperamental characteristics under assessment was proved. We believe that this new questionnaire is reliable for temperament assessment in Italian children aged 8 to 12 years, living in a big city environment in Central Italy.

Child↗

PubMed1996

Questionnaire on the perceptions of patients about shoulder surgery.

We developed a 12-item questionnaire for completion by patients having shoulder operations other than stabilisation. A prospective study of 111 patients was undertaken before operation and at follow-up six months later. Each patient completed the new questionnaire and the SF36 form. Some filled in the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). An orthopaedic surgeon assessed the Constant shoulder score. The single score derived from the questionnaire had a high internal consistency. Reproducibility, examined by test-retest reliability, was found to be satisfactory. The validity of the questionnaire was established by obtaining significant correlations in the expected direction with the Constant score and the relevant scales of the SF36 and the HAQ. Sensitivity to change was assessed by analysing the differences between the preoperative scores and those at follow-up. Changes in scores were compared with the patients' responses to postoperative questions about their condition. The standardised effect size for the new questionnaire compared favourably with that for the SF36 and the HAQ. The new questionnaire was the most efficient in distinguishing patients who said that their shoulder was much better from all other patients. The shoulder questionnaire provides a measure of outcome for shoulder operations which is short, practical, reliable, valid and sensitive to clinically important changes.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

The use of questionnaires for the identification of high risk areas for urinary schistosomiasis: the Ethiopian experience.

The applicability and usefulness of questionnaires directed at school children and teachers and routed through the usual administrative/educational system for the identification of communities at risk for urinary schistosomiasis in Ethiopia was assessed in the Awash Valley in 1992 as part of a multi-country study. Pre-tested questionnaires were distributed to 28 elementary schools. A total of 2918 children and 56 teachers completed the questionnaires. Teachers and the biomedical team tested 2662 and 2602 children by reagent strips in 24 schools. The prevalences of children with questionnaire positive (yes) answers for indicators of urinary schistosomiasis, "blood in urine" and "schistosomiasis" or "pain when urinating", were 4.1%, 3.6% and 11.2%, respectively. The median rank given by teachers for "blood in urine" and "schistosomiasis" from among a list of symptoms/diseases that were affecting children in the area was 7 (not cited by the respondent). The prevalence of haematuria at the 1+ limit by teacher and biomedical team reagent testing was 21.9% and 17.5%, respectively. Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among the children tested by urine filtration was 2.7%. The relation between children's and teachers's questionnaire answers for the markers of urinary schistosomiasis, on the one hand, and between children's questionnaire answers and teacher stick testing results, on the other, gave no significant correlation. Conventional parasitological testing required US+ 226 per screened school as opposed to US+ 47 and US+ 153 for questionnaires and teacher testing, respectively. The approach worked well operationally and was cheaper. Nevertheless, it did not serve its diagnostic purpose in the Awash Valley. This is explained, among others, by the low prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in the study area which probably resulted in low perception of the disease by the immigrant population from the highlands who constituted the majority of the study population. However, as the feasibility and the cost-effectiveness of questionnaires for large-scale screening provide many possibilities in the frame of a PHC approach to disease control, a similar investigation should be carried out in a different urinary schistosomiasis endemic area before sound conclusion is given as to the diagnostic capability of the approach.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

[Evaluation of 2 questionnaires with reference to their suitability for self-evaluation of patients with gonarthrosis. A contribution to quality assurance in rheumatology].

Questionnaires are useful instruments to evaluate disability and handicap in patients suffering from rheumatic diseases. Most of the used questionnaires require a time consuming interview with the attending physician or medical health personnel. Two (Larson and Lequesne) well established questionnaires are available for osteoarthritis(OA)-patients. Since it would be desirable to have reliable patients self reporting questionnaires, we have tested the utility and validity of these questionnaires by comparing the results of patients self reports with the results obtained by medical health personnel (4 occupational- and physiotherapists) in the same patients (n = 52). The analysis of the questionnaires revealed that results obtained by the Larson technique gave very different (p < 0.01) global and detail scores as assessed by patients or medical staff. This difference of assessments was not influenced by the stage of arthrosis as defined by x-ray. The Lequesne questionnaires gave essentially similar results, with a significant difference between assessment of disease severity by patients in comparison to results obtained by medical staff. The results obtained by the 4 members of the medical staff did not differ significantly from each other. From our study it is concluded that neither the Larson nor the Lequesne questionnaire can be recommended for scientific use as a reliable patients self reporting evaluation of disease severity in osteoarthritis.

Activities of Daily Living↗