The reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of 'quality of life measure for limb lymphoedema-arm' questionnaire for patients with breast cancer related lymphedema

Breast cancer-related lymphedema; is a chronic condition characterized by generalized or regional accumulation of protein-rich interstitial fluid by the destruction of the lymphatic system by cancer cells and / or cancer therapy. Lymphedema negatively affects the quality of life of a patient as it causes physical, psychological and social problems in a way that varies depending on the person and the size of the affected area. Disease-specific questionnaires are used to evaluate the functional levels and quality of life of patients with lymphedema and also diagnose problems and determine treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of the Turkish version of the Life Quality Scale for limb Lymphedema, with the original name of "Quality of life measure for limb lymphoedema-arm" (LYMQOL-Arm). After the translation and adaptation to Turkish the LYMQOL-Arm questionnaire by proper procedure is indicated at the literatüre was administered to 110 patients who were literate and diagnosed with breast cancer-related lymphedema. For reliability analysis, internal consistency and test-retest method were used. Cronbach alpha coefficient and item-total statistics were calculated for each question and subscales. The questionnaire was applied twice to 33 patients with the interval of two weeks to quantify test-retest reliability. For validation, the questionnaire was compared to Quick-DASH(Quick-Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) which has already been validated for Turkish. For the reliability analysis, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient subscales of internal consistency were calculated to be 0.933-0.872-0.863-0.905, and 0.900 for the whole questionnaire (p <0.05), with function, appearance, symptoms and mood. As a result of the test-retest a strong correlation was found between the items of both questionnaires (p <0.001). In the factor analysis for construct validity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was found to be 0.888, indicating that the number of samples was sufficient and the items correlated with each other. A positive correlation between Q-DASH scala and the LYMQOL-Arm scale (R=0.906) was determined. As a result, it was determined that Turkish version of LYMQOL-Arm scale is a valid and reliable quality of life scale for lymphedema patients and can be used in clinical studies and in routine clinical practices in Turkey