Transcultural Adaptation and Validation of the Turkish Version of the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index

The aim of this study is to test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index. This methodological study was conducted with 214 patients who were to undergo gastrointestinal surgery in a hospital in Ankara. For testing the validity of the Turkish version of Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index, its cross-cultural, content, criterion, and construct validities were tested. Internal consistency and stability were assessed to determine the scale’s reliability. For the Turkish adaptation of Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index, translation, expert opinion acquisition, re-translation, and pre-application were carried out. On performing factor analysis, Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index showed a seven-factor structure. The 36-Item Short Form Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to test the criterion validity of Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index. A significant positive correlation was found between Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index and Short Form-36 Quality of Life Scale subscale scores (p < 0.001). The Cronbach’s alpha value was found to be 0.90. A significant positive correlation was found between the index scores obtained at two different time points (r = 0.775; p < 0.001). The Turkish version of Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index was found to have high validity and reliability. It is recommended to use the Turkish version of Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index to evaluate the effects of the treatment and care received by individuals with gastrointestinal diseases on their quality of life and practices required to be implemented for their improvement.