Validation of Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQol) for the Iranian Population
Abstract Background Acromegaly is a chronic disease seriously impacting the patients' quality of life. This study aimed to validate the Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL) for the Persian-speaking population. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 73 Iranian patients with a confirmed diagnosis of acromegaly. The content validity of the scales was evaluated by an expert panel of eight endocrinologists. Construct validity was assessed by using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed on the basis of Cronbach’s alpha, and a goodness-of-fit (GoF) index was calculated to display whether the model fitted the data. Results The content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) yielded values of 0.85 and 0.80, respectively. The average variance extracted (AVE) from physical and psychological dimensions was 0.520 and 0.462, respectively, exceeding the minimum criterion of 0.40. Cronbach’s alpha for physical and psychological dimensions equaled 0.868 and 0.866, respectively, indicating the adequate internal consistency of multiple items for each construct. The subscales’ R square and path coefficient were greater than the recommended threshold (physical dimension: 0.778, psychological dimension: 0.873), demonstrating the suitability of this criterion. Finally, the GoF value of 0.29 indicated the model's moderate fit. Conclusions The findings revealed that the Persian version of AcroQoL is of adequate validity and reliability for evaluating the quality of life of Iranian people with acromegaly.