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Validation of the Spanish version of the DEMQOL system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2010

Ramona Lucas-Carrasco ,
Donna L Lamping ,
Sube Banerjee ,
Javier Rejas ,
Sarah C. Smith  and
Juana Gómez-Benito
Ramona Lucas-Carrasco*
Affiliation:
Institut de l'Envelliment, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Donna L Lamping
Affiliation:
Health Services Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, U.K.
Sube Banerjee
Affiliation:
The Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, U.K.
Javier Rejas
Affiliation:
Health Outcomes Research Department, Medical Unit, Pfizer España, Madrid, Spain
Sarah C. Smith
Affiliation:
Health Services Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, U.K.
Juana Gómez-Benito
Affiliation:
Department of Methodology of the Behavioral Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Ramona Lucas-Carrasco, MD, PhD, Institut de l'Envelliment, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sant Antoni Maria Claret 171, 08041 Barcelona, Spain. Phone: +34 93 4335069; Fax: +34 93 4463505. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Background: Dementia is associated with poor quality of life, but generic measures do not fully capture main aspects of these conditions. Our aim was to validate a Spanish version of the “dementia-specific health-related quality of life” DEMQOL system.

Methods: We validated the Spanish DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy in 119 people with dementia from six centers and their caregivers. Patient-reported information, including generic (WHOQOL-BREF) and dementia-specific (DEMQOL) health-related quality of life, depressive symptoms (GDS-15), functional ability (Barthel Index), subjective perception of health and demographic information, was obtained by interview. Proxy-reported information from a family caregiver about the patient's quality of life (DEMQOL-Proxy) was also obtained by interview.

Results: The Spanish DEMQOL showed good psychometric properties. Acceptability (14.3% missing data), internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.85) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.71) were good. A priori hypotheses about the relationship between DEMQOL and the WHOQOL-BREF (psychological and physical domains), GDS-15 and Barthel Index were confirmed, indicating good construct validity. Associations between DEMQOL-Proxy and other measures were weaker. A three-factor solution accounted for 44.4% of the total variance of DEMQOL, and a four-factor solution accounted for 53.3% of the total variance of DEMQOL- Proxy.

Conclusion: The Spanish versions of DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy are reliable and valid in patients with mild/moderate dementia who are living at home.

Keywords

dementiaquality of lifeDEMQOLDEMQOL-Proxyreliabilityvalidity
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , June 2010 , pp. 589 - 597
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2010

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