Mapping the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire Parent Form onto the Short-Form Six-Dimensions version 2

Validity and Reliability of the Korean Versions of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form and Teenager Form

We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Korean versions of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Child Form (K-FAQLQ-CF) and the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Teenager Form (K-FAQLQ-TF). Patients aged 8-17 years with food allergy (FA) were enrolled and completed the Korean versions of the questionnaires, including the K-FAQLQ-CF, the Food Allergy Independent Measure-Child Form (K-FAIM-CF), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (K-PedsQL™ 4.0) for children and the K-FAQLQ-TF, the Food Allergy Independent Measure-Teenager Form (K-FAIM-TF), and the K-PedsQL™ 4.0 for adolescents. We enrolled 56 children and 23 adolescents in this study. The K-FAQLQ-CF showed a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.969) and an excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.914, P = 0.011). There was a moderate correlation between the K-FAQLQ-CF and K-FAIM-CF scores (β = 0.736, P < 0.001), indicating construct validity. The K-FAQLQ-CF score was weakly associated with the K-PedsQL™ 4.0 score (β = -0.289, P = 0.031), verifying convergent and discriminant validities. The K-FAQLQ-TF also showed a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.966) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.974, P = 0.005). Construct validity was also established by a moderate correlation with the K-FAIM-TF (β = 0.699, P < 0.001). Our results suggest that the K-FAQLQ-CF and K-FAQLQ-TF are valid and reliable tools to evaluate the quality of life of children and adolescents with FA in Korea.

The Short Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAQLQ-12) for Adults

BACKGROUND

The Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAQLQ) is the most widely used measure to assess health-related quality of life in food allergy. However, its length can lead to a series of disadvantages, such as reduced or incomplete participation and boredom and disengagement, affecting data quality, reliability, and validity.

OBJECTIVE

We shortened the well-known FAQLQ for adults and propose the FAQLQ-12.

METHODS

We applied reference-standard statistical analyses, mixing classic test theory and item response theory to identify relevant items for the new short form and confirm its structure fit and reliability. More specifically, we employed discrimination, difficulty, and information levels (item response theory), confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson's correlations, and reliability analysis (McDonald ω and Cronbach α).

RESULTS

We chose items with the highest discrimination values to compose the shortened FAQLQ because they were among the ones with the best difficulty levels and the highest amount of individual information. We retained three items per factor because this number allowed for acceptable reliability levels, resulting in 12 items. The FAQLQ-12 presented a better model fit compared with the complete version. The correlation patterns and reliability levels were similar for both the 29 and 12 versions.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the full version of the FAQLQ remains a reference standard to assess food allergy quality of life, the FAQLQ-12 is introduced as a powerful and beneficial alternative. It can help participants, researchers, and clinicians in specific settings, such as dealing with time and budget limitations, and provides high-quality and reliable responses.

Attitudes Towards Food Allergy Scale: Psychometric properties and associations with food allergy quality of life and anxiety

Background

Daily, we tend to evaluate things positively or negatively, according to whether they follow the general information available about them. This attitudinal assessment is represented through evaluative dimensions (e.g., good‐bad) that vary in terms of valence (positive or negative) and strength (less or more). Despite its importance, there is an urge in food allergy (FA) research to properly assess attitudes based on the underlying mechanisms that define attitudes.

Objective

The present research aimed to develop the Attitudes Towards Food Allergy scale (ATFAS), the first attitudinal measure of FA. Method: Two studies were performed (n = 1049), using a range of robust statistical analyses (e.g., Item Response Theory, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis).

Results

Our results provided strong evidence for a unidimensional attitudinal structure, across groups of non‐allergic individuals and food‐allergic, besides recommended reliability levels. All items presented suitable parameters (i.e., discrimination, difficulty, information). Finally, the ATFAS significantly predicted FA quality of life, mediated by FA anxiety.

Conclusion

We are confident that the ATFAS is a novel and necessary measure, that can help to widen how we view and assess FA. The development of studies that assess attitudes towards FA based on our general information about the disorder would help to deepen our understanding of their links to other health‐related variables and their potential impact on quality of life, reduce FA's stigma, and develop more positive attitudes.

Quality of Life in Food Allergy: Validation of the Korean Version of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire Parent Form (K-FAQLQ-PF) and Risk Factor Analysis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form (K-FAQLQ-PF) and to identify clinical characteristics related to low quality of life (QoL) in Korean children with food allergy (FA).

METHODS

Parents of 0-12-year-old patients with FA were enrolled. The English version of FAQLQ-PF was translated into Korean. Construct validation was confirmed by the Food Allergy Independent Measure-Parent Form (FAIM-PF) and the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 28 (CHQ-PF28). Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between potential risk factors and QoL outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 182 patients with a median age of 5.0 years were enrolled in the study. Cronbach's α coefficient values indicating internal consistency were higher than 0.8. Intraclass correlation coefficient values for test-retest reliability were good for all age groups (r > 0.6). Total K-FAQLQ-PF scores were positively correlated with the FAIM-PF (r = 0.56, P < 0.05) and were negatively correlated with the parental impact-emotional domain in the CHQ-PF28 (r = -0.44, P < 0.05). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, low QoL was significantly associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-4.18), age ≥ 5 years (aOR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.31-6.16), FA diagnosis before the age of 3 years (aOR, 3.96; 95% CI, 1.13-13.93), the presence of atopic dermatitis (aOR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.07-4.57), and residence in non-metropolitan areas (aOR, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.73-6.85).

CONCLUSIONS

According to parental perceptions, the K-FAQLQ-PF is a valid and reliable tool to assess psychosocial QoL in Korean children with FAs. Age, sex, residential area, and comorbid AD can affect the QoL of pediatric patients with FA.