Validation of the Spanish Version of Newcastle Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Measure (NEWSQOL)

Background: Stroke causes a wide variety of clinical manifestations that may have a negative impact on quality of life. Therefore, it is very important to use specific instruments for measuring quality of life in individuals who suffered a stroke. The aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically validated Spanish version of the Newcastle stroke-specific quality of life measure (NEWSQOL). Methods: A psychometric validation of the Spanish version of the NEWSQOL questionnaire was carried out in 159 patients. The reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient and Cronbach's alpha coefficient), validity (factorial analysis and Spearman's coefficient), feasibility (response rate), and the ceiling and floor effects were calculated. Results: Internal consistency showed that Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.93. The test-retest reliability was high or excellent for all domains (range 0.71-0.97p< 0.001). The response rate of the questionnaire was 100% and the average administration time was 20.5 (+/- 7.2) min. No ceiling effect was detected and two domains (pain and vision) may have a significant potential for floor effect. Construct validity showed that all the variables are important enough to keep them all in the questionnaire. Concerning convergent construct validity, a high correlation was found with the Nottingham Health Profile, the Barthel Index, and the Modified Rankin Scale. Conclusion: The Spanish version of the NEWSQOL questionnaire is reliable, valid, and feasible to evaluate quality of life in the Spanish population.