Tuberc Respir Dis.  2006 Aug;61(2):121-128.

Validation of the Korean Version of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire for Patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease

• Kim YS
• Byun MK
• Jung WY
• Jeong JH
• Choi SB
• Kang SM
• Moon JA
• Han JS
• Nam CM
• Park MS
• Kim SK
• Chang J
• Ahn CM
• Kim SK

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The "health-related quality of life" (HRQL) for patients with chronic respiratory disease has been emphasized, because chronic respiratory disease (CRD) is chronic and progressive, and it finally causes disability. HRQL instruments may be useful for monitoring patients' progress or for determining the most appropriate choice of treatment. We describe the adapting St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), which is a self-administered questionnaire developed by Jones et al. (1991), into the Korean version for covering three domains of health for the patients suffering with airways disease. METHOD: We obtained the original SGRQ from the author after gaining permission. For adaptation, we created an expert panel and translated the original questionnaire into Korean language. The translated questionnaire was then back-translated by bilingual experts and we compared it with the original questionnaire. After correction and feasibility testing, 74 patients with chronic respiratory disease (COPD, asthma, destroyed lung) completed the Korean version of the SGRQ. The clinical status of each patients was evaluated concurrently with measurement of their health status. RESULT: The Korean version of the SGRQ was acceptable and easy to understand. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was 0.92 for the overall scale and 0.63 for the "Symptoms", subscale, 0.87 for the "Activity", subscale, and 0.89 for the "Impacts" subscales. The correlation coefficients between the overall score and the Borg scale score, oxygen saturation, and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) were 0.52, -0.32 and -0.26, respectively. These results support that the Korean SGRQ was correlated with other measurements.
CONCLUSION
The Korean SGRQ was reliable and valid for patients with chronic respiratory disease, such as COPD, asthma, and destroyed lung. The SGRQ score was well correlated with other respiratory measurements as well. Although further studies should complete the adaptation work, our results suggest that the SGRQ may be used in Korea and also for international studies involving Korean CRD patients.

Keyword

Quality of life; COPD; Asthma

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Forced Expiratory Volume
Humans
Korea
Lung
Oxygen
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
Quality of Life
Surveys and Questionnaires*
Oxygen

Figure

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  Figure 1 Regression plot of the St. Geroge's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Total score versus 6 minute walk distance (r=-0.44, p<0.0001, R2=0.1974)

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  Figure 2 Regression plot of the St. Geroge's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) Total score versus Borg scale score after exercise (r=0.52, p<0.0001, R2=0.2740)

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  Figure 3 Regression plot of the St. Geroge's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Total score versus FEV1% (r=-0.26, p=0.0228, R2=0.0698)

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