Quality of life and swallowing questionnaire for individuals with Parkinson's disease: development and validation

BackgroundIndividuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) may exhibit some degree of change in swallowing dynamics during the course of the disease. These changes can affect their physical, functional and emotional quality of life. AimsTo develop a quality of life and swallowing questionnaire for individuals with PD. Methods & ProceduresThe first version of the questionnaire comprised 29 items taken from the accounts of 50 patients treated over a 2-month period at Sarah Hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A committee of 10 experts in the field analyzed the content and reduced the questionnaire to 28 questions. The questionnaire was then administered to 140 PD patients and 47 healthy individuals. A factor analysis of the items guided the drafting of the final questionnaire, which consisted of 19 items grouped into four factors, encompassing physical, functional and emotional aspects. A test-retest assessment was conducted with 44 individuals with PD. Outcomes & ResultsThe internal consistency, estimated by the mean of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, varied between 0.71 (domain 3) and 0.94 (domain 1) in the test and between 0.69 (domain 3) and 0.95 (domain 1) in the retest. The correlation coefficient in the test/retest comparison was high and significant, demonstrating that the measurement was stable. A significant difference was observed between the PD group and the comparison group. Conclusions & ImplicationsThe questionnaire developed is a valid, statistically appropriate and clinically effective self-administered instrument for individuals with PD.