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Arch Dis Child 2005;90:351-358 doi:10.1136/adc.2003.048645
  • Community child health, public health, and epidemiology

Reliability and validity of health status measurement by the TAPQOL

  1. E M Bunge1,
  2. M-L Essink-Bot1,
  3. M P H M Kobussen2,
  4. L W A van Suijlekom-Smit3,
  5. H A Moll3,
  6. H Raat1,4
  1. 1Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands
  2. 2Community Care Salland, Ommen, Netherlands
  3. 3Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus MC–University Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands
  4. 4GGD–Municipal Health Service, Rotterdam, Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to:
    Ms E Bunge
    Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands; e.bungeerasmusmc.nl
  • Accepted 11 October 2004

Abstract

Background: In addition to clinical measures in the evaluation of paediatric interventions, health related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome. The TAPQOL (TNO-AZL Preschool children Quality of Life) was developed to measure HRQoL in preschool children. It is a generic instrument consisting of 12 scales that cover the domains physical, social, cognitive, and emotional functioning.

Aims: To evaluate the feasibility, score distribution, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminative and concurrent validity of the TAPQOL multi-item scales in preschool children, aged 2–48 months. Also to evaluate the feasibility, reliability, and validity separately for infants (2–12 months old) and toddlers (12–48 months old).

Methods: Parents of a random general population sample of 500 preschool children were sent a questionnaire by mail. A random subgroup of 159 parents who participated received a retest after two weeks.

Results: The response rate was 83% at the test and 75% at the retest. There were few missing answers. Six scales showed ceiling effects. Nine scales had Cronbach’s alphas >0.70. In general, score distributions and Cronbach’s alphas were comparable for infants and toddlers. Test-retest showed no significant differences in mean scale scores; two scales had intra-class correlations <0.50. Five scales showed significant differences between children with no conditions versus children with two or more parent reported chronic conditions.

Conclusion: Results showed that the TAPQOL is a feasible instrument to measure HRQoL and support the reliability and discriminative validity of the majority of its scales for infants as well as toddlers.

Footnotes

  • Funding: This study was funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) NWO-Health Care Efficiency Research Program Grant # 2200.0128

  • Competing interests: none declared

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