Italian validation of the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL-It).

Introduction: Quality of life is a dynamic concept that can undergo change with time and/or disease progression. The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL-It), that we consider useful for assessing quality of life in Palliative Care.

Methods: The MQOL-It was administered by interview to 175 patients (M 108; F 67) admitted to a Unit of Palliative Care. All patients were suffering from advanced disease: cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, chronic heart failure. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the psychometric properties of the questionnaire.

Results: Factor analysis (VARIMAX) revealed four domains of quality of life, though the item composition differed, at composition analysis, from the original MQOL version. "Achieved goals" and "control over life", items classified in the English version as part of the existential domain, in the Italian version fitted the psychological domain; the item "well-being" was grouped into the physical domain and did not load clearly with other factors. Cronbach's alpha for the whole questionnaire was 0.85, with a good internal consistency for the four subscales (Cronbach's alpha > or = 0.65). All MQOL-It subscales were significantly correlated (Spearman correlation) with the Single Item rating Scale (SIS); comparison between the MQOL-It and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP)-part I showed the instrument's concurrent validity.

Conclusions: MQOL shows robust psychometric properties and appears suitable for evaluating quality of life in palliative care in Italy.