Quality of life (QOL) questionnaire designed for patients with oral cancer: Development and validity

Abstract

We studied the feasibility of using a questionnaire modified from the “Functional Living Index: Cancer” to measure the quality of life (QOL) in groups of patients with, oral cancer.
The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions based on a 5-grade scale for all questions. The overall QOL score was derived by summing the scores from all questions. The questionnaire was used to evaluate 62 patients. The criteria used were consistency of measurement, reliability, and suitability as measured against performance status and Lorish's face scale.
1. One-way analysis suggested that 4 of the 20 questions did not provide consistent data.
2. Cronbach's alpha index was greater than O.8, which indicates a high degree of reliability.
3. One-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test showed that QOL score was significantly correlated (P<0.001) with the results for performance status and face scale, which suggests sufficient criterion-related validity.