Validation of the Brazilian version of the pediatric outcomes data collection instrument: a cross-sectional evaluation in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

BACKGROUND There is a lack of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires to evaluate pediatric musculoskeletal diseases in Brazil. The Pediatric Outcome Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) is widely used elsewhere for pediatric patients with musculoskeletal disorders, but it has not been fully validated in Brazil. Validation of the PODCI in the Brazilian Portuguese language is important to improve the assessment of pediatric patients with musculoskeletal diseases and to compare Brazilian study results with results from the international literature. This study aimed to analyze the test-re-test reliability and the convergent validity indicators for the quality of life scores obtained by application of the PODCI to children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS The PODCI underwent translation, transcultural adaptation, and field testing. Fifty-seven children and adolescents with JIA were administered the PODCI questionnaire. The Child Health Questionnaire - Parent Form 28 (CHQ PF-28) was used as the gold standard. Pain scales were employed, clinical examinations were performed, and laboratory inflammatory activity tests were conducted. RESULTS The three versions of the PODCI exhibited good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient > 0.70), good reproducibility (p < 0.05), and good correlation compared with the gold standard (CHQ), as shown by a Spearman coefficient (Rho) > 0.40 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The PODCI was validated in patients with JIA in Brazil. This questionnaire was found to be valid, precise, and reliable. It can be successfully applied in research conducted by healthcare professionals who work with children and adolescents with musculoskeletal system disorders.