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Development, validation and reliability of a web‐based questionnaire to measure health‐related quality of life in dogs
Author(s) -
Reid J.,
WisemanOrr M. L.,
Scott E. M.,
Nolan A. M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of small animal practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1748-5827
pISSN - 0022-4510
DOI - 10.1111/jsap.12059
Subject(s) - medicine , intraclass correlation , quality of life (healthcare) , reliability (semiconductor) , likert scale , test (biology) , distress , applied psychology , quality (philosophy) , clinical psychology , psychometrics , statistics , psychology , nursing , mathematics , paleontology , power (physics) , physics , philosophy , epistemology , quantum mechanics , biology
Objectives To describe the development, preliminary validation and reliability testing of a shortened web‐based form of GUVQuest , a structured questionnaire to measure health‐related quality of life in dogs . Methods The original 109 items were reduced using expert judgement and factor analysis. Validity was established by factor analysis and in a subsequent field trial using a “known groups” approach and classical test theory. Test–retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients . Results The instrument comprises 46 items each of which is rated by dog owners using a 7‐point Likert scale. Factor analysis revealed a sensible structure containing four health‐related quality of life domains (vitality, pain, distress and anxiety) accounting for 64·1% of the variability in the data. The field test involving 125 dogs demonstrated very good discriminative properties and intraclass correlation coefficient values of greater than 0·6 . Clinical Significance This is the first report of a valid and reliable companion animal health‐related quality of life instrument, the contemporary approach to animal welfare measurement, which is presented in a web‐based format, with automated production of a health‐related quality of life profile. It offers major advantages to dog owners, practitioners and researchers .