Preliminary validation of the IOF QLQ and comparison with the SF-36 in patients after a distal radius fracture.

AIM: The aim of this study was to report preliminary validation data on the Polish version of the International Osteoporosis Foundation Quality of Life Questionnaire (IOF QLQ) for patients with a distal radius fracture (DRF).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Patients were eligible if they were between 18-80 years and were within 1-3 days after a non-comminuted DRF. All patients filled out the Polish version of the IOF QLQ, the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and a demographic questionnaire. Assessment points were set as soon as possible after the fracture, 7 days, 6 weeks, and 3 months after the fracture. Standard va- lidity and reliability analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight patients (42 women - 72.4%) agreed to take part in the study (mean age of the group 65.7 ± 9.3 years). Cronbach's alpha coefficients showed positive internal consistency (0.82- 0.87). The interclass correlations for the IOF QLQ domains and the overall score ranged from 0.82 to 0.93. Satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity of the IOF QLQ was seen.

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary data show that the Polish version of the IOF QLQ for patients with a DRF is a reliable and valid tool for measuring health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). However, further studies are needed to demonstrate the full psychometric and clinical properties of the IOF QLQ in patients with a fracture of the wrist.