Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Quality of life measures in Italian neurosurgical patients: validity of the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the validity, reliability and factor structure of the Italian version of the EUROHIS-QOL (European Health Interview Survey-Quality of Life) 8-item index in patients who are potential candidates for neurosurgical procedures.

Methods

Cross-sectional study. Patients completed the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index, a disability and general well-being questionnaire; the Karnofsky performance status scale (KPS) was used as a general measure of functional status. Factor analysis was used to confirm the one-factor structure of the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, item-total correlation and inter-item correlation. Construct validity was assessed with Pearson’s coefficient (expected to be below 0.70) and known-group analysis, dividing patients between those KPS >90 and KPS ≤90 (the latter expected to report lower QoL).

Results

The one-factor structure was partly confirmed, with two items having low loadings. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.78; item-total correlations were below 0.70; and average inter-item correlation was 0.309. Correlations were all significant and moderate; known-group analysis shows that QoL scores were lower in patients with active symptoms (KPS ≤90).

Conclusions

Our findings partly confirm the factor structure and reliability of the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index, which suggests that it may be a useful and straightforward quality of life measurement technique in neurosurgical departments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Sherman, J. H., Hoes, K., Marcus, J., Komotar, R. J., Brennan, C. W., & Gutin, P. H. (2011). Neurosurgery for brain tumors: update on recent technical advances. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 11(3), 313–319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Garrett, M., Consiglieri, G., & Nakaji, P. (2010). Transcranial minimally invasive neurosurgery for tumors. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America, 21(4), 595–605.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Hall, W. A., & Truwit, C. L. (2008). Intraoperative MR-guided neurosurgery. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 27(2), 368–375.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Wong, J. M., Ziewacz, J. E., Ho, A. L., Panchmatia, J. R., Kim, A. H., Bader, A. M., et al. (2012). Patterns in neurosurgical adverse events: open cerebrovascular neurosurgery. Neurosurgical Focus, 33(5), E15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gross, B. A., & Du, R. (2012). Cerebrovascular neurosurgery 2011. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 19(10), 1344–1347.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kanat, A., & Yazar, U. (2013). Spinal surgery and neurosurgeon: quo vadis? Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences, 57(1), 75–79.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Damodaran, O., Lee, J., & Lee, G. (2013). Microscope in modern spinal surgery: advantages, ergonomics and limitations. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 83(4), 211–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gibson, J. N., Cowie, J. G., & Iprenburg, M. (2012). Transforaminal endoscopic spinal surgery: the future ‘gold standard’ for discectomy?—A review. Surgeon, 10(5), 290–296.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Taphoorn, M. J., Sizoo, E. M., & Bottomley, A. (2010). Review on quality of life issues in patients with primary brain tumours. Oncologist, 15(6), 618–626.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Carod-Artal, F. J., & Egido, J. A. (2009). Quality of life after stroke: the importance of a good recovery. Cerebrovascular Diseases, 27(Suppl 1), 204–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hill, M. R., Noonan, V. K., Sakakibara, B. M., Miller, W. C., & SCIRE Research Team. (2010). Quality of life instruments and definitions in individuals with spinal cord injury: a systematic review. Spinal Cord, 48(6), 438–450.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. WHOQOL Group. (1998). The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL): development and general psychometric properties. Social Science and Medicine, 46(12), 1569–1585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Skevington, S. M., Lotfy, M., & O’Connell, K. A. (2004). The World Health Organization’s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. A report from the WHOQOL Group. Quality of Life Research, 13(2), 299–310.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Schmidt, S., Mühlan, H., & Power, M. (2006). The EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index: psychometric results of a cross-cultural field study. European Journal of Public Health, 16(4), 420–428.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Ustun, T. B., Kostanjsek, N., Chatterji, S., & Rehm, J. (2010). Measuring health and disability: manual for the WHO disability assessment schedule. Geneva: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Grossi, E., Groth, N., Mosconi, P., Cerutti, R., Pace, F., Compare, A., et al. (2006). Development and validation of the short version of the psychological general well-being index (PGWB-S). Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 4, 88.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Karnofsky, D. A., & Burchenal, J. H. (1949). The clinical evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer. In C. M. MacLeod (Ed.), Evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents. New York: Colombia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kaiser, H. F. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39(1), 31–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Field, A. (2005). Discovering statistics using SPSS. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Hedges, L. V. (1981). Distribution theory for Glass’s estimator of effect size and related estimators. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 6(2), 107–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. da Rocha, N. S., Power, M. J., Bushnell, D. M., & Fleck, M. P. (2012). The EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index: comparative psychometric properties to its parent WHOQOL-BREF. Value in Health, 15(3), 449–457.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This independent study on the quality of life in patients candidate to neurosurgical procedures (CQ-NCH) was sponsored by the C. Besta Neurological Institute IRCCS Foundation. The authors would like to thank Aislinne Freeman, BA, M.Sc., for her valuable help in revising the use of English.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurosurgery II, Neurological Institute C. Besta IRCCS Foundation, Milan, Italy

    Silvia Schiavolin, Paolo Ferroli, Francesco Acerbi, Stefano Brock, Alberto Cusin, Marco Schiariti, Sergio Visintini & Morgan Broggi

  2. Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit, Neurological Institute C. Besta IRCCS Foundation, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Rui Quintas, Matilde Leonardi & Alberto Raggi

Authors
  1. Silvia Schiavolin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rui Quintas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paolo Ferroli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francesco Acerbi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Stefano Brock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Alberto Cusin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Marco Schiariti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Sergio Visintini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Morgan Broggi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Matilde Leonardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Alberto Raggi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alberto Raggi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schiavolin, S., Quintas, R., Ferroli, P. et al. Quality of life measures in Italian neurosurgical patients: validity of the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index. Qual Life Res 24, 441–444 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0784-7

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0784-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation