Translation, transcultural adaptation, and validation of the Serbian version of the PSS-QoL questionnaire: A pilot research

Abstract

Background/Aim. Assessment of health-related quality of life is fundamental for a better understanding the disease?s effect on different aspects of patients? daily functioning and treatment modalities efficacy. Primary Sj?gren's Syndrome Quality of Life Questionnaire (PSS-QoL) is the first disease-specific instrument for evaluating health-related quality of life in patients with primary Sj?gren syndrome. The aim of this study was to formally translate the PSS-QoL questionnaire from English to Serbian, assess its psychometric properties, and validate it for use in the Serbian population. Methods. The research was designed as a pilot study and included 30 participants. Internal consistency was determined by calculating Cronbach?s alpha coefficient. The construct validity of the questionnaire was estimated by the correlation of its overall result with the patients? EuroQoL-5D, EULAR SS Patients Reported Index, Oral Health Impact Profile-14, and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire scores. Results. There were 29 (96.7%) female participants and one (3.3%) male participant in the research. The average (? SD) score of PSS-QoL was 44.63 ? 12.901 at baseline and 41.70 ? 12.075 at follow-up. Cronbach?s alpha value of the Serbian version of PSS-QoL was 0.922. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.981 (95% CI: 0.436-0.996). Analysis revealed a statistically significant moderate to strong correlation between PSS-QoL scores and EuroQol-5D (rs = -0.696), EULAR SS Patients Reported Index (rs = 0.883), and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 scores (rs = 0.809). Conclusion. Serbian adaptation of the PSS-QoL instrument can be used to evaluate the health-related quality of life of patients with primary Sj?gren syndrome both in academic research and in clinical practice as a novel outcome measure.