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Abstract
Background Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem connective tissue disorder which decreases the life-expectancy and quality of life (QoL) of the patients.
Objectives To determine the effects of SSc on physical and mental health of the patients as well as their QoL and translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Systemic Sclerosis Questionnaire (SySQ) to the Turkish language.
Methods We evaluated 88 SSc patients (F/M=77/11, mean age 49.8±12.4 and mean disease duration 7.2±6.0 years, limited/diffuse=60/28) and 81 healthy subjects (HS)(F/M=70/11, mean age 46.8±11.2 years) without a history of malignancy and infection. QoL, functional capacity, fatique, anxiety and depression were assessed by SF-36, SySQ, HAQ, UK SSc functional score (UKFS), FACIT-F and HADS, respectively. The SySQ was translated according to international guidelines and administered to all patients and controls. Internal consistency was tested by computing Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was determined by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Correlation of SySQ with SF-36, HADS, FACIT-F was assessed by using Pearson test.
Results The internal consistency of SySQ was similar to the original study (1) and ranged from 0.812–0.937 for items. The interobserver reliability was also very good for each item (ICC: 0.88–0.97). QoL assessed by SySQ, anxiety and depression and fatique scores were significantly worse in SSc patients than healthy subjects (Table 1). All items of SySQ positively correlated with UKFS, HAQ, HADS scores, patient and physician global assessments of disease activity and negatively correlated with all parameters of SF-36 and FACIT-FT.
Conclusions Disease-specific QoL, mental and physical health of the SSc patients were significantly worse than healthy individuals in our study. Turkish version of SySQ is reproducible and valid for Turkish SSc patients.
Fatma Temiz, Merve Saganak, Nazife Enginar and Gulsen Ozen contributed equally to this research.
Ruof J, Brühlmann P, Michel BA, Stucki G. Development and validation of a self-administered systemic sclerosis questionnaire (SySQ). Rheumatol. 1999;38:535–42.
Disclosure of Interest None declared