Citation

van Baar ME, Essink-Bot ML, Oen IM, Dokter J, Boxma H, Hinson MI, van Loey NE, Faber AW, van Beeck EF. Burns 2006; 32(3): 357-365.

Affiliation

Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands. M.E.vanBaar@umcutrecht.nl

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.burns.2005.10.004

PMID

16487664

Abstract

The Health Outcomes Burn Questionnaire (HOBQ) is a self-administered questionnaire to monitor outcome after burns in young children. This study aimed to assess feasibility, reliability and validity of the Dutch version of the HOBQ. The HOBQ was adapted into Dutch and tested in a population of children aged 0-4 years with a primary admission to a Dutch burn centre in March 2001-February 2004. Parents of 413 children were sent a questionnaire. To assess validity, a generic outcome instrument was included, the Infant Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire (ITQOL). The response rate was 50.0% (n=196). Mean self-reported completion time was 16.7 min. The internal consistency of all the HOBQ-scales was good (Cronbach's alpha's>0.69). Test-retest results showed no differences in 7 out of 10 scales. High correlations between HOBQ-scales and conceptually equivalent ITQOL and scales were found in 5 out of 7 comparisons. The majority of the HOBQ-scales (7 out of 10) showed significant differences in the expected direction between children with a long versus short length of stay. Our data support the reliability and validity of the Dutch HOBQ. The HOBQ can be used as a research tool, to monitor functional outcome after burns in young children. Further research in other samples is recommend to fully establish the reliability and validity of the HOBQ.

Language: en