A short questionnaire for the assessment of quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: psychometric properties of VQ11

BACKGROUND: There is a need for a validated short instrument that can be used in routine practice to quantify potential short-term change in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim is to determine the validity and reliability of the VQ11 questionnaire dedicated to the routine assessment of HRQoL. METHODS: 181 COPD patients (40–85 yrs, I to IV GOLD stages) completed the VQ11, and several tests. One week later, 49 of these patients completed the VQ11 again. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-level hierarchical structure of the VQ11 with 11 items covering three components and HRQoL at a higher level. The VQ11 showed good internal consistency and good reproducibility (r = 0.88). Concurrent validity showed significant correlations between VQ11 total scores and St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire-C (r = 0.70), Short Form-36 (r = -0.66 for the physical component and -0.63 for the mental component). We obtained significant correlations with MRC Dyspnea Grades (r = 0.59), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale total score (r = 0.62), and the BODE index (r = 0.53). CONCLUSION: The VQ11 has good measurement properties and provides a valid and reliable measure of COPD-specific HRQoL. It is ready for use in routine practice. CLINICAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the University of Montpellier 1 Ethics Committee and the Regional Ethics Committee (authorization number: A00332-53).