Marios Pillas1, Caroline Selai1, Anette Schrag1. 1. University College London Institute of Neurology, University College London, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, London, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the psychometric properties of the Carers Quality of Life Questionnaire for Parkinsonism using a Rasch modeling approach and determine the optimal cut-off score. METHODS: We performed a Rasch analysis of the survey answers of 430 carers of patients with atypical parkinsonism. RESULTS: All of the scale items demonstrated acceptable goodness of fit to the Rasch model. The scale was unidimensional and no notable differential item functioning was detected in the items regarding age and disease type. Rating categories were functioning adequately in all scale items. The scale had high reliability (.95) and construct validity and a high degree of precision, distinguishing between 5 distinct groups of carers with different levels of quality of life. A cut-off score of 62 was found to have the optimal screening accuracy based on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscores. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the Carers Quality of Life Questionnaire for Parkinsonism is a useful scale to assess carers' quality of life and allows analyses requiring interval scaling of variables.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the psychometric properties of the Carers Quality of Life Questionnaire for Parkinsonism using a Rasch modeling approach and determine the optimal cut-off score. METHODS: We performed a Rasch analysis of the survey answers of 430 carers of patients with atypical parkinsonism. RESULTS: All of the scale items demonstrated acceptable goodness of fit to the Rasch model. The scale was unidimensional and no notable differential item functioning was detected in the items regarding age and disease type. Rating categories were functioning adequately in all scale items. The scale had high reliability (.95) and construct validity and a high degree of precision, distinguishing between 5 distinct groups of carers with different levels of quality of life. A cut-off score of 62 was found to have the optimal screening accuracy based on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscores. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the Carers Quality of Life Questionnaire for Parkinsonism is a useful scale to assess carers' quality of life and allows analyses requiring interval scaling of variables.
Authors: Marina Picillo; Sofia Cuoco; Marianna Amboni; Francesco Paolo Bonifacio; Antonino Bruno; Fabio Bruschi; Arianna Cappiello; Rosa De Micco; Anna De Rosa; Francesca Di Biasio; Francesca Elifani; Roberto Erro; Margherita Fabbri; Marika Falla; Giulia Franco; Daniela Frosini; Sebastiano Galantucci; Giulia Lazzeri; Luca Magistrelli; Maria Chiara Malaguti; Anna Vera Milner; Brigida Minafra; Enrica Olivola; Andrea Pilotto; Cristina Rascunà; Maria Cristina Rizzetti; Tommaso Schirinzi; Barbara Borroni; Roberto Ceravolo; Alessio Di Fonzo; Leonardo Lopiano; Roberta Marchese; Nicola B Mercuri; Nicola Modugno; Alessandra Nicoletti; Alessandro Padovani; Gabriella Santangelo; Alessandro Stefani; Alessandro Tessitore; Maria Antonietta Volontè; Roberta Zangaglia; Mario Zappia; Paolo Barone Journal: Neurol Sci Date: 2019-06-12 Impact factor: 3.307