PURPOSE: To test responsiveness and sensitivity to change of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale Danish version (SSQOL-DK) scores in patients following stroke.

METHODS: A follow-up study of 150 patients with first-ever stroke was used. Questionnaires on quality of life, fatigue, depression, and functional level were completed. Direction of change was categorised as deterioration, no change or improvement. Proportion of concordant classification with external criteria was assessed. Associations between differences in SSQOL-DK domains and the other instruments were estimated using Spearman's rank order correlation coefficients. Paired t-test was used to assess change in the SSQOL-DK domains in patients affected in that domain. Effect size and standardised response mean (SRM) were used to express domain responsiveness.

RESULTS: SSQOL-DK classified concordantly in 42.2 to 58.1%, and misclassified from zero to 31.3%. Changes in SSQOL-DK and in the corresponding measures correlated from (r(s)) 0.08 to -0.58. Fatigue and domain energy in SSQOL-DK were negatively correlated. Effect size ranged from -0.03 to -0.53, SRM from -0.02 to -0.56 reflecting mild-to-moderate responsiveness in eight out of 12 domains.

CONCLUSION: SSQOL-DK is mildly to moderately responsive and sensitive and can be used for descriptive purposes over time in groups of patients with mild stroke.

A Danish version of the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SSQOL-DK) has been developed for self-reporting; it contains 12 physical and psychosocial domains. The purpose of this study was (a) to assess the reliability of the proxy version of the SSQOL-DK and (b) to evaluate the influence of frequency of proxy contact on agreement. In all, 143 patients completed the SSQOL-DK 1 to 5 years post-stroke. A patient chosen proxy completed a proxy version of the same questionnaire. The proxy version showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .85-.95). Agreement was generally high. Proxies rated the amount of trouble significantly smaller (higher score) than the patients only in the domain Social Roles. The amount of trouble in the domain Family Roles received significantly higher ratings from noncohabitant proxies when compared with patients (lower score). The proxy version of the SSQOL-DK appears to be reliable for use with stroke patients up to a few years following a stroke.

AIM: This paper aimed to describe health related quality of life three and 12 months after mild stroke or transient ischemic attack, TIA, to describe the perceived changes from pre to post stroke status and to examine sociodemographic determinants for health related quality of life.

METHODS: 105 patients with mild stroke or TIA delivered self reported data on health related quality of life using the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale Danish Version, SSQOL-DK. The main outcome was perceived change in over all quality of life from pre to post stroke status. Non-parametric tests were used to examine change over time and differences between groupings of gender, age and life conditions. Logistic regression was used to model the change of all over quality of life changed at 12 months compared to pre stroke status.

RESULTS: Fifty seven percent (57%) of the patients felt that their pre stroke status concerning quality of life was regained. Those that rated all over quality of life deteriorated 12 months post stroke were more often working (48.9% vs. 31.7%), fewer had a diagnosis of TIA (13.3% vs. 30%), functional level was lower and the consumption of antidepressive medication was more frequent. In the regression model male sex (OR 3.77), working outside home (OR 2.84) and less than 5.00 (maximum score) on the domains Mood and Work/productivity at three months were significant predictors for rating health related quality of life deteriorated after stroke.

CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation efforts should include employment alternatives of a less demanding nature for male patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke has an effect on many aspects of quality of life (QoL) and therefore it is important to measure the magnitude of the impact. Items in the American version of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QoL) Scale are developed with help from patients with stroke and include even language impairments.

AIMS: To translate and culturally adapt the American SS-QoL Scale, version 2.0, a stroke-specific instrument measuring health-related QoL, into a Danish version, and to perform a pilot testing of the psychometric properties of the instrument.

METHODS: The guidelines recommended by Guillemin et al. (J Clin Epidemiol, 46, 1993, 1417) were followed including two independent forward and one back translation, inclusion of laymen, here patients with stroke and their spouses, pretest, and examining selected items with a probing technique. Four couples were included in the pretest, 14 in the pilot study. The patients for pretest and pilot study were selected strategically with regard to interest for participation, experience as stroke survivors, sufficient capacity of language perception and cohabitant status.

RESULTS: In the Danish version instructions were made more distinct and formal than in the original American version. Explanatory examples within the items were excluded. One new item adjusted for Danish conditions replaced one in the original version, and the response categories concerning personality were adjusted for cultural differences. The pilot study resulted in a more explicit formulation of the instructions to mark each item only once and on the same line as the item.

CONCLUSIONS: A Danish version of SS-QoL version 2.0 has been developed and content as well as format has proved relevant and acceptable to patients with stroke including those with impaired language production. The next step is testing the psychometric properties of the instrument.

OBJECTIVE: To test the reliability and validity of the Danish version of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale version 2.0 (SS-QOL-DK), an instrument for evaluation of health-related quality of life.

DESIGN: A correlational study.

SETTING: A stroke unit that provides acute care and rehabilitation for stroke patients in Frederiksborg County, Denmark.

SUBJECTS: One hundred and fifty-two stroke survivors participated; 24 of these performed test-retest.

INTERVENTION: Questionnaires were sent out and returned by mail. A subsequent telephone interview assessed functional level and missing items.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Test-retest was measured using Spearman's r, internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach's alpha, and evaluation of floor and ceiling values in proportion of minimum and maximum scores. Construct validity was assessed by comparing patients' scores on the SS-QOL-DK with those obtained by other test methods: Beck's Depression Index, the General Health Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36), the Barthel Index and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, evaluating shared variance using coefficient of determination, r2. Comparing groups with known scores assessed known-group validity. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed.

RESULTS: Test-retest of SS-QOL-DK showed excellent stability, Spearman's r = 0.65-0.99. Internal consistency for all domains showed Cronbach's alpha = 0.81-0.94. Missing items rate was 1.0%. Most SS-QOL-DK domains showed moderately shared variance with similar domains of other test methods, r2 = 0.03-0.62. Groups with known differences showed statistically significant difference in scores. Item-to-scale correlation coefficients of 0.37-0.88 supported convergent validity.

CONCLUSIONS: SS-QOL-DK is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring self-reported health-related quality of life on group level among people with mild to moderate stroke.