[Prospective validation of the Spanish version of the Short Form-Liver Disease Quality of life].

Unlabelled: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) assessed by a specific, validated, brief test is an important measure of the health status perceived by patients diagnosed with chronic liver disease.

Aim: To prospectively validate the SF-LDQOL (Short Form-Liver Disease Quality of Life) instrument in Spanish, in patients diagnosed with liver disease of diverse etiologies and distinct severity levels, attended at the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge (Barcelona).

Methods: This observational, longitudinal study was conducted by using the SF-LDQOL in outpatients diagnosed with chronic liver disease. This instrument contains the generic SF-36 test, and 9 liver disease-specific dimensions. We also evaluated socio-demographic features, the number of missing responses, and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), as well as Pearson's correlation between SF-36 and SF-LDQOL scores on specific dimensions by means of a multi-trait multi-method technique. The sample consisted of 340 patients.

Results: In 6 out of 9 liver disease-specific dimensions, reliability coefficients for internal consistency exceeded 0.70. The convergent validity of these items was acceptable in 8 out of 9 dimensions, with a scaling success of 100% in each item. Missing items were under 1.5% in all dimensions, except for Sexual Functioning.

Conclusions: The Spanish version of the SF-LDQOL has, in general, good psychometric properties, making it a useful instrument for clinical practice in a population of patients diagnosed with chronic liver disease, with or without liver transplantation.