Stroke and aphasia quality of life scale- 39: reliability and validity of the Turkish version

People with aphasia who have language and communication problems are the ones who are mostly affected by stroke and also the group in which depression and social avoidance behaviours are mostly seen. Aphasia changes their lives suddenly. People with aphasia not only lose their jobs but also lose their friends. It is known that people with aphasia have lower quality of life than the other stroke survivors who do not have aphasia. In recent years, there has been a growing importance in assessing the quality of life of people with aphasia in stroke rehabilitation. Health related quality of life scales not only assess the effect of health status on the quality of life of people but also evaluate the efficiency of health services. Moreover, they contribute to the process of clinical decision making of individuals? treatments. Hilari et al. (2003) are the first researchers who have developed quality of life scales for people with aphasia. In this research, Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale- 39 (SAQOL-39) which is developed by Hilari et. al, was adapted to Turkish language. After linguistic adaptation,30 people with aphasia who met the criteria were included in validity and reliability studies. The scale which is comprised of 39 items of four subscales is based on personal interviews. The scores are distributed on a 5 point Likert scale.The analysis show that Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale- 39 is a scale that is highly acceptable, valid and reliable (cronbach alfa:.97) and can easily be used in evaluating the quality of life of Turkish people with aphasia. Keywords: Aphasia, quality of life, Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39, validity and reliability