Development of a vision-related quality of life instrument for children ages 8-18 years for use in juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity and reliability of a novel questionnaire to measure vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) in children ages 8-18 years for use in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis: the Effects of Youngsters' Eyesight on Quality of Life (EYE-Q).

METHODS: Several steps validated the EYE-Q. We interviewed experts and children on how vision affects a child's activities. We developed new items and selected relevant items from existing instruments. We administered initial versions of the EYE-Q to normal-sighted children and those with JIA-associated uveitis. For this study, children with various (or no) ocular conditions were recruited from a clinical population. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were performed, and the EYE-Q and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) were administered. The EYE-Q was repeated 10 days later. Patients, parents, and physicians rated vision severity.

RESULTS: Of 120 patients, 48% were female, 46.7% had no visual impairment, and 53.3% had bilateral eye involvement. The mean age was 11.3 years. There were significant differences in the measures based on visual acuity (P < 0.001). Children with more severe visual acuity and bilateral eye involvement had worse EYE-Q scores (P < 0.001). There were significant associations between the EYE-Q and PedsQL (r = 0.375), repeat EYE-Q (r = 0.864), and clinical measures of ocular disease (r = -0.620).

CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence of the validity and reliability of the EYE-Q in the measurement of VRQOL. The EYE-Q may complement clinical measures of visual impairment and overall QOL and become an important tool in the assessment of QOL in JIA-associated uveitis.