The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 122, Issue 1 , Pages 139-144.e2, July 2008

Development and validation of the self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire for adolescents

  • Bertine M.J. Flokstra-de Blok, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Allergy and Paediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Bertine M. J. Flokstra-de Blok, MSc, Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Allergy and Paediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
    • ,
  • Audrey DunnGalvin, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University College, Cork, Ireland
    • ,
  • Berber J. Vlieg-Boerstra, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Allergy and Paediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Joanne N.G. Oude Elberink, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Eric J. Duiverman, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Allergy and Paediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Jonathan O'Brien Hourihane, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University College, Cork, Ireland
    • ,
  • Anthony E.J. Dubois, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Allergy and Paediatric Pulmonology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Received 8 April 2008; received in revised form 5 May 2008; accepted 8 May 2008.

Background

Food allergy can affect health-related quality of life (HRQL). Currently, no validated, self-administered, disease-specific HRQL questionnaire for adolescents with food allergy exists.

Objective

We sought to develop and validate the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire–Teenager Form (FAQLQ-TF) in the Dutch language.

Methods

Ten adolescents (13-17 years) with food allergy were interviewed and generated 166 HRQL items. The most important items were identified by 51 adolescents with food allergy by using the clinical impact method, resulting in the FAQLQ-TF containing 28 items (score range: 1 “no impairment” to 7 “maximal impairment”). The FAQLQ-TF, the Food Allergy Independent Measure, and a generic HRQL questionnaire (CHQ-CF87) were sent to 98 adolescents with food allergy for cross-sectional validation of the FAQLQ-TF.

Results

Construct validity was assessed based on the correlation between the FAQLQ-TF and the Food Allergy Independent Measure (ρ = 0.57, P < .001). The FAQLQ-TF had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α = .92) and discriminated between adolescents who differed in number of food allergies (1 vs >2 food allergies: total FAQLQ-TF score, 4.3 vs 3.5; P = 0.037) but did not discriminate between those who did or did not have reported anaphylaxis. The FAQLQ-TF correlated weakly with 6 of the 11 CHQ-CF87 scales, demonstrating convergent/discriminant validity.

Conclusion

The FAQLQ-TF is the first self-administered, disease-specific HRQL questionnaire for adolescents with food allergy. It has good construct validity and excellent internal consistency and discriminates between adolescents who differ in the number of food allergies. The FAQLQ-TF is short and easy to use and might therefore be a useful tool in clinical research.

Key words: Adolescents, EuroPrevall, food allergy, health-related quality of life, teenagers

Abbreviations used: CHQ-CF87, Children's Health Questionnaire–Child Form, DBPCFC, Double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, EO, Expectation of outcome, FAIM, Food Allergy Independent Measure, FAQLQ-TF, Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire–Teenager Form, FAQLQ-CF, Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire–Child Form, HRQL, Health-related quality of life, IM, Independent measure, OI, Overall importance

 

 Supported by the European Union through the EuroPrevall project (FOOD-CT-2005-514000).

 Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: B. M. J. Flokstra-de Blok has received research support from the European Union (EU). A. DunnGalvin has received research support from EU Leonardo da Vinci. B. J. Vlieg-Boerstra has received research support from EuroPrevall. J. N. G. Oude Elberink has received research support from HAL Allergy. J. O'B. Hourihane is on the speakers' bureau for Novartis, Numico, and Monarini; has received research support from the European Commission, the Irish Lung Foundation, and Numico plc; has served as an expert witness in immunodeficiency litigation; has served as a member of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Clemens von Piquet Foundation; and has received travel support from Menarini, Diagnostic Products Corporation, and Merck Sharp Dohme. A. E. J. Dubois has received research support from ALK-Abelló, Mead Johnson, and Union Chémique Belge. The rest of the authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.

PII: S0091-6749(08)00943-3

doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2008.05.008

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 122, Issue 1 , Pages 139-144.e2, July 2008

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