The Angina-related Limitations at Work Questionnaire

Abstract

This report describes initial experience with a new self-report questionnaire, the 17 item Angina-related Limitations at Work Questionnaire. Forty employed individuals with chronic stable angina pectoris completed the questionnaire which retrospectively examined the subjects' difficulty in performing specific work activities during the preceding 4 week period. The questionnaire performed well in this study and there was initial evidence of its validity and reliability. More than one-half of the respondents (52.5%) indicated at least some difficulty in performing one or more of the 17 work items due to angina during the preceding 4 weeks, with the greatest difficulty experienced in physically exerting tasks, handling stressful situations and feeling a sense of accomplishment. In contrast, only one-quarter of the sample missed any work time. In tests of convergent validity, the degree of work limitation correlated significantly with SF-36 physical and mental health component scores and with self-reports of angina symptoms. The questionnaire had internal reliability, with item to total score correlations of 0.75 or higher for 14 of the 17 items. In summary, the Angina-related Limitations at Work Questionnaire offers promise for quantifying work limitations among individuals with chronic stable angina.