Validity and reliability of the Greek Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MSQ Version 2.1-GR).

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To assess the validity and reliability of the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire 2.1 (MSQv.2.1) in a group of Greek migraineurs. DESIGN-SAMPLE-METHODS: The Greek version of MSQv.2.1 (MSQv.2.1-GR), a self-report measure with 14 items in 3 domains (Role Restrictive (RR), Role Preventive (RP) and Emotional Function (EF)), was administered during a cross-sectional study to 141 Greek adult migraineurs and 135 controls without migraine or any other primary headache disorder, along with Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) to assess validity. MSQv.2.1-GR was re-administered in a group of participants with migraine two weeks afterwards to assess reliability. Content and construct validity was assessed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Spearman rho, McDonald's omega, Cronbach's alpha. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the latent structure of the MSQv.2.1-GR in migraineurs. RESULTS: A total of 276 adults participated in the study. Internal consistency of the three MSQv.2.1-GR scales RR, RP and EF yielded a range of McDonald's omega from 0.832 to 0.923 (Cronbach's alpha from 0.814 to 0.923). CFA confirmed the proposed three-factor MSQv.2.1-GR latent structure with acceptable goodness of fit indices and factor loadings. Correlations were established between MSQv2.1-GR component and MIDAS scores, showing moderate and statistically significant relationships (from - 0.519 to -0.562, all p < 0.001) for RR, RP and EF. Correlations between MSQv2.1-GR and SF-12 component scores were identified, with values from 0.1 to 0.4, indicating low to moderate associations. ICC was calculated at 0.997, indicating a high level of reliability between the measures. Notably, all MSQv2.1-GR scores (RR, RP, EF) were significantly higher in the controls compared to migraineurs (p < 0.001 for all scales). These findings suggest that MSQv2.1-GR is internally consistent, shows significant correlations with relevant measures, and is effective in discriminating controls from migraineurs. CONCLUSION: MSQv2.1-GR is a valid and reliable tool to determine the effect migraine has on the quality of life of Greek-speaking migraineurs.

Migraine is a major global health issue, ranking at the top leading causes of disability worldwide. The Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire 2.1 (MSQ v.2.10 is an effective instrument for measuring the influence of headaches on a patient's quality of life but it is not available for the Greek migraineurs. We therefore made this study to investigate the reliability and validity of MSQv.2.1 in Greek. The Greek version (MSQv2.1-GR) was administered on a total of 142 migraineurs and 136 non-migraineurs. In addition, other instruments such as MIDAS and SF-12 were applied to determine its validity. We concluded that MSQv2.1-GR is a valid measure. There was great reliability between the items because they were measuring the same thing. It had a good correlation with other tests that evaluate migraine-related disability and quality of life. It also differentiated migraineurs from non-migraineurs in terms of quality of life. Therefore, MSQv2.1-GR proves to be an appropriate measure for examining the consequences of migraine on the health-related quality of life among Greek individuals. This tool will be helpful for clinicians in Greece as well as for research purposes such as cross-cultural studies on effects of migraine on quality of life.