A VALIDATED Amharic pediatric dermatology quality of life tool reliably tracked disease burden and treatment response.
Researchers translated and culturally adapted the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) to assess the impact of skin conditions among Amharic-speaking children. The study included 188 participants aged 4 to 16 years, of whom 129 had cutaneous leishmaniasis and 59 had other skin conditions.
The 10-item CDLQI assesses symptoms and feelings, leisure, school, relationships, sleep, and treatment during the previous week. Scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater impairment in health-related quality of life.
The translated questionnaire underwent forward and backward translation, expert review, cultural adaptation, and pilot testing. Children involved in pilot testing reported that the questions and response choices were clear. One item concerning swimming and sports was modified to include “activities” to improve its relevance within the Ethiopian setting.
Across the full cohort, the median CDLQI score was 7, indicating a moderate overall effect on quality of life. Approximately 26% of children experienced a moderately large impact, while 19.2% reported a very large impact and 6.4% an extremely large impact.
The Amharic CDLQI demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.82. Interrater reliability was also strong: among 72 children assessed independently by two interviewers, the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.92.
Among children with cutaneous leishmaniasis, CDLQI scores differed significantly according to physician-rated disease severity. Scores were also higher among children with multiple lesions compared with a single lesion and among those with lesions measuring at least 40 mm compared with smaller lesions.
The instrument also detected improvement over time. Among 96 children treated for cutaneous leishmaniasis, median CDLQI scores decreased from 9 at baseline to 4 after 90 days. Scores fell significantly among children rated by physicians as having minor improvement, substantial improvement, or cure, but not among those whose condition was unchanged or worse.
These findings support the Amharic CDLQI as a reliable tool for measuring pediatric dermatology quality of life and monitoring clinical change. However, the predominance of cutaneous leishmaniasis and older children in the cohort may limit generalizability across other skin conditions and younger age groups.
Reference
Wendimu DE et al. An Amharic Version of the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI): Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation. Dermatol Res Pract. 2026;2026(1):4076478.
Featured Image: Monkey Business on Adobe Stock.
Featured Image: Monkey Business on Adobe Stock.
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