Validity and reliability of the Bengali version of the Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic in Bangladesh, and the quality of life (QoL) of these patients remains unknown as there is no instrument available in the native language. In this study, we translated the 56-item Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (HQLQ) into Bengali and evaluated its validity and reliability. Fifty patients with asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B and 50 similarly infected patients who received Lamivudine were recruited. The HQLQ instrument was administered to the participants at baseline and 6 months to evaluate its validity and reliability, as well as the responsiveness of the QoL scales. HBV patients reported lower scores on General Health, Vitality, Role Emotional, Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary, as compared with other scales. Item-scale correlations were generally large, thus supporting item convergent validity. Inter-scale correlations suggested convergent and discriminant validity. The instrument discriminated well between groups with differing clinical status and was responsive to changes in health status over time. Generally, we found the Bengali HQLQ to be a valid and reliable instrument for capturing the QoL and disease burden of HBV patients in Bangladesh.