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Conceptual equivalence and health-related quality of life: an exploratory study in Japanese and Dutch cancer patients

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Abstract

Research into the equivalence of Western and Japanese conceptualizations of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) is scarce. We used the Western (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, EORTC-QLQ-C30) and the Japanese (HRQoL-20) questionnaire in order to analyze the conceptual similarity of HR-QOL factors, and the associations between specific symptom items with overall HR-QOL in Japanese (n = 265) and Dutch (n = 174) patients with various types of cancer. Both populations completed both instruments. In both patient groups, the overall health scale of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 correlated highly (r = 0.59; p < 0.001) with the HRQOL-20 composite average score, indicating substantial conceptual comparability. Relationships between all EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom items with HR-QOL were examined by ranking their correlations with the two overall measures of HR-QOL. Comparable patterns in the Japanese and Dutch samples were observed. The results suggest a considerable conceptual equivalence of HR-QOL in Japanese and Dutch cancer patients, and indicate a satisfactory structural and cross-cultural equivalence for the EORTC-QLQ-C30 with regard to items measuring functioning and specific symptoms. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the impact of specific symptoms on general quality of life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Psychology, Leiden University Medical Center, P. O. Box 9555, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands

    W. Chr. Kleijn & A. A. Kaptein

  2. Centrum’ 45, Rijnzichtweg 35, 2342 AX, Oegstgeest, The Netherlands

    W. Chr. Kleijn

  3. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Tokyo, Japan

    K. Ogoshi

  4. Department of Technology Assessment and Biostatistics, National Institute of Public Health, Saitama, Japan

    K. Yamaoka

  5. Department of Psychology, Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan

    T. Shigehisa

  6. Department of Pulmonary Medicine, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo, Japan

    Y. Takeda

  7. Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    C. L. Creutzberg & J. W. R. Nortier

Authors
  1. W. Chr. Kleijn
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  2. K. Ogoshi
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  3. K. Yamaoka
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  4. T. Shigehisa
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  5. Y. Takeda
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  6. C. L. Creutzberg
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  7. J. W. R. Nortier
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  8. A. A. Kaptein
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Correspondence to W. Chr. Kleijn.

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Kleijn, W.C., Ogoshi, K., Yamaoka, K. et al. Conceptual equivalence and health-related quality of life: an exploratory study in Japanese and Dutch cancer patients. Qual Life Res 15, 1091–1101 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-006-0049-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-006-0049-1

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