The French PROMIS-29. Psychometric validation and population reference values

Background. - PROMIS-29 is a new generic standardized questionnaire measuring self-reported health status. It was developed as part of the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) in the United States. The objective of this study was to carry out the psychometric validation of a French-language version of PROMIS-29 and to establish general population reference values for France. Methods. - Quota sampling was conducted by an independent polling company (Ipsos) to obtain a general population sample (n = 1,501) representative with regards to: gender, age, occupation, region, and population density of the place of residence. Data collected included the results of the questionnaires PROMIS-29 and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the presence of selected chronic diseases, and socio-demographic information. Results. - The French PROMIS-29 demonstrated excellent factorial validity, confirming the 7-factor model of the original PROMIS-29. The use of modern measurement methods indicated that the PROMIS-29 scales satisfy the important characteristics of unidimensionality and, for five of the seven composite scales, invariance across age, educational level and gender. Gender and age specific (10-year intervals) reference values were generated for PROMIS-29 use in France. Conclusion. - The French version of PROMIS-29 is a valid and reliable measure of self-reported health status in the French population. The instrument's sensitivity to change needs to be evaluated before its use in longitudinal studies can be recommended. (C) 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.