Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory in the Later Life

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The reports indicate on the incidence of seizure disorder about 1.5 per cent of the normal elderly population. The Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) has been pervasive simple tool to screen seizure in the busy neurophysiological settings and monitoring. It was constructed as self-administered tool in two formats, 89 and 31-items. To the reliability and validity of the QOLIE-31 across older adults in the southwest Iran and discuss its role in the detection of health-related quality of elderly patients with epilepsy. METHODS About 73 older adults (mean age = 66.3 ± 1.71) were sampled from the eight hospitals and caring centres. They replied to the QOLIE-31. External and criterion validity was calculated by correlation to the SF-36 questionnaire, to check and validate the epilepsy specific dimensions. The QOLIE-31 includes seven subscales: overall quality of life, seizure worry, emotional well-being, energy/fatigue, cognitive, medication effects, and social function. RESULTS There was significant difference within sample groups regarding main variables (p < 0.05). The coefficients of Cronbach's alpha (α= 0.76), convergent validity (0.81), divergent validity (-0.21), external validity with overall score of SF-36 (0.87), and criterion validity (0.78) were estimated, which were significant at p < 0.01. The exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that the QOLIE-31 is organized into six factors, which clarifies 92 per cent of the scale's variance. Second-order confirmatory factor analysis pointed out that the factor is well matched up onto a principal factor. Consequently, the 6-factors model was well appropriate for the data by the fit index techniques for adjusting the scale (AGFI = 0.94, GFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.003, IFI = 0.90, NFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.95). CONCLUSIONS The results pointed to the well-adjusted reliability and psychometric properties of the QOLIE-31 and its usefulness for the relevant studies as well.