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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 Nov;65(11):1820-7.
doi: 10.1002/acr.22045.

Utility of the PedsQL rheumatology module as an outcome measure in juvenile fibromyalgia

Naomi E Joffe, Anne Lynch-Jordan, Tracy V Ting, Lesley M Arnold, Philip J Hashkes, Daniel J Lovell, Murray H Passo, Scott W Powers, Kenneth N Schikler, Susmita Kashikar-Zuck
Randomized Controlled Trial

Utility of the PedsQL rheumatology module as an outcome measure in juvenile fibromyalgia

Naomi E Joffe et al. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2013 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: The PedsQL rheumatology module is currently the only available measure of disease-specific quality of life for children and adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia (FM), but limited information has been published about the psychometric properties of the instrument, specifically in juvenile FM. The objective of this study was to assess there liability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the 5 scales (pain and hurt, daily activities, treatment, worry, and communication) of the patient and parent proxy versions of the PedsQL rheumatology module in the context of a randomized controlled trial in juvenile FM.

Methods: The entire PedsQL rheumatology module was administered as a supplementary outcome measure at baseline,posttreatment, and 6-month followup assessments of 114 children and adolescents with juvenile FM enrolled in a trial testing the efficacy of cognitive–behavioral therapy.

Results: Internal consistency reliabilities for the scales were adequate to strong (Cronbach’s α = 0.68–0.86). Parent proxy and child reports on most scales (except for daily activities and communication) showed moderate correlations (Spearman’s r = 0.33–0.45). Support for construct validity was found by comparing child and parent reports with other related measures of pain and functioning (visual analog scale pain ratings and the Functional Disability Inventory). Finally, sensitivity to change was demonstrated by significant changes in 4 of the 5 scales (excluding the daily activities scale) after treatment.

Conclusion: The PedsQL rheumatology module generally appears to have good utility for use in juvenile FM patients, but there are some caveats to the interpretation of specific scales in this population.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00086047.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean scale scores on PedsQL™ Rheumatology Module scales for all JFM participants † Higher scores indicate improvement. Significant improvement was observed in all domains other than Daily Activities + p < .05, * p < .005.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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