Psychometric properties of the modified Czech version of the children self-report Quality-of-life Measure for Children with Epilepsy (CHEQOL-25)

- The CHEQOL-25 questionnaire was chosen for an adaptation study in the Czech Republic.
- Modifications were needed in order to ensure that the Czech version was understandable.
- The modified Czech version of the CHEQOL-25 questionnaire exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties.

Quality of life (QoL) is a crucial factor in the treatment of individuals suffering from epilepsy. We aimed to adapt the children's version of the CHEQOL-25 questionnaire to allow the QoL measurement in children suffering from epilepsy in the Czech Republic. The adaptation was conducted on a group of 250 children and adolescents aged 8-15 years. It was found that the questionnaire required modification to fit the Czech pediatric population. Indirect questions were changed to direct questions, and two items were omitted from the original version of the questionnaire. The reasons for these modifications are discussed. The modified questionnaire was subjected to exploratory factor analysis, and a 4-factor structure was favored over the 5-factor structure of the original version. The internal consistency measured using Cronbach's alpha was found to be in the range of 0.78-0.83 for the individual scales, and test-retest reliability was expressed using intraclass correlation coefficient which was found to be in the range of 0.65-0.75. The modified Czech version of the CHEQOL-25 questionnaire displayed very good results with regard to construct validity. Its strength is its simplicity and clarity which allows it to be used in children with impaired cognitive functions. The results showed that the modified version of the Czech CHEQOL-25 has very good psychometric properties and could be used in further research and clinical practice.