Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Translation of the PedsQLTM 3.0 Neuromuscular Module for 2-to 4- Year-old in Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

BACKGROUND: The Pediatric Quality of Life InventoryTM Neuromuscular Module (PedsQLTM 3.0 NM) evaluates the health-related quality of life in children who are affected by neuromuscular diseases. This study's aim is to assess the adaptation of the PedsQLTM 3.0 NM Turkish version (PedsQLTM 3.0 NM-TR) for 2-4 years old in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

METHODS: The procedure of translating the PedsQLTM 3.0 NM into Turkish was conducted in accordance with the translation methodology outlined by the PedsQLTM measurement model. The PedsQLTM 3.0 NM-TR was administered to 54 parents of children with SMA aged 2-4 years. The test-retest reliability and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were measured for reliability analysis. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item score correlations were calculated for internal consistency. Concurrent construct validity was evaluated by Pearson correlations between the outcomes of the PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scale (PedsQLTM 4.0 GCS) and the PedsQLTM 3.0 NM.

RESULTS: The PedsQLTM 3.0 NM-TR total score shows excellent reliability. The Cronbach's alpha values for the PedsQLTM 3.0 NM ranged between 0.871-0.906, while those for the PedsQLTM 4.0 GCS ranged 0.843-0.897. Test-retest ICC values for the PedsQLTM 3.0 NM-TR ranged 0.812-0.917, and for the PedsQLTM 4.0 GCS ranged 0.773-0.899. The relationship between the PedsQLTM 3.0 NM-TR and the subscores of the PedsQLTM 4.0 GCS demonstrated a range of correlations from excellent to fair, indicating the interplay between two scales.

CONCLUSIONS: This study established the PedsQLTM 3.0 NM-TR as reliable, valid, and feasible for use in children aged 2-4 years old with SMA.