Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of a Korean Version of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Specific Quality of Life – Revised

Objective: The objective was to translate the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Specific Quality of Life - Revised instrument (ALSSQOL-R) into Korean and to examine the psychometric properties of the Korean amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) population.

Methods: The translation involved forward and backward translation. The psychometric properties of the Korean version of the ALSSQOL-R (K-ALSSQOL-R) were tested by patients in an ALS multidisciplinary clinic in Korea (n = 120). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity, criterion-related validity, and construct validity were evaluated.

Results: With regard to the reliability estimate, the internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92) and the test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.89) were good. With regard to the validity estimate, the K-ALSSQOL-R demonstrated concurrent validity with the McGill Quality of Life Single-Item Scale (r = 0.62) and the first question of the World Health Organisation QOL Instrument-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) (r = 0.64). The convergent validity and discriminant validity were acceptable. The confirmatory factor analysis supported a six-factor model.

Conclusion: The K-ALSSOQL-R can be used as a reliable and valid measure of QOL among Korean ALS patients.