Validation of the spanish version of the food allergy quality of life questionnaire-parent form (S-FAQLQ-PF)

Background: Food allergy is an emerging health problem. Several questionnaires can be used to establish health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in food allergy patients. Current questionnaires should be translated in such a way that they take account of the culture of the country in which they are to be used. Objective: To translate and perform a cross-sectional validation of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF). Methods: The parents of 54 children diagnosed with food allergy were recruited to assess the Spanish version of the FAQLQ-PF (S-FQLQ-PF). Results: The S-FQLQ-PF was translated into Spanish according to WHO guidelines (including a forward-backward translation). The statistical analysis showed that feasibility, reliability, and internal consistency were very good for the global S-FAQLQ-PF score and for the different domains. Assessment of construct validity indicated that S-FAQLQ-PF has reduced capacity for measurement of HRQOL in younger children. Cross-sectional validation of the S-FAQLQ-PF demonstrated that HRQOL of a Spanish pediatric population was affected by patient age, severity of symptoms, and number of reactions. HRQOL was not affected by sex, food implicated, number of foods implicated, ingestion of the implicated food, or presence of anaphylaxis. Conclusion: Translation into Spanish and cultural validation of the FAQLQ-PF demonstrated the influence of factors, such as patient age, severity of symptoms, and number of reactions on the HRQOL of a pediatric Spanish population.