Short quality of life scale: A cross-cultural validation in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is the prioritized measure in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The short quality of life scale (SQoL) developed by Devy et al. (2013) is an MS-specific and abbreviated scale with ten items suitable for routine medical care settings. The current study reported the cross-cultural validation of the scale in the Persian language. A total of 455 convenient MS patients with a mean age of 38.39 (9.28) ranged from 18 to 64 filled out the primary measure and the validating measures, including hospital anxiety and depression scale, visual analogue scale - quality of life, and a single index of the number of past-year MS relapse. The confirmatory factor analysis on original structure indicated an acceptable model fit. However, a modestly modified structure composing of physical-functional dimension (items #1-3), mental dimension (items #5-8), and pain & energy dimension (items 4 & 9,10) was also exposed with a sound fit and a meaningful structure. The overall internal consistency reliability was sound (0.88), and the concurrent validity was confirmed. The Persian short quality of life scale (P-SQoL) is the first translated and validated version of the scale, surfacing significant implications. Further cross-cultural investigations are recommended to re-examine current findings. The classic and recent suggestions concerning the close interplay between the immunity system and the psychological system and the implications based on Iran's context are discussed.

Automated summary

This study conducted a cross-cultural validation of the short quality of life scale (SQoL) for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the Persian language. The scale's original structure had an acceptable model fit, but a slightly modified structure also had a sound fit and meaningful dimensions. The Persian version of the scale (P-SQoL) showed good reliability and validity. Further cross-cultural investigations are recommended to confirm these findings.