Sarfo Fred S, Gebregziabher Mulugeta, Ovbiagele Bruce, Akinyemi Rufus, Owolabi Lukman, Obiako Reginald, Armstrong Kevin, Arulogun Oyedunni, Akpalu Albert, Melikam Sylvia, Saulson Raelle, Jenkins Carolyn, Owolabi Mayowa
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
Medical University of South Carolina, SC, USA.
eNeurologicalSci. 2016 Jun;3:75-79. doi: 10.1016/j.ensci.2016.03.004.
The Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-free Status (QVSFS) has been validated in Western populations as a method for verifying stroke-free status in participants of clinical, epidemiological and genetic studies. This instrument has not been validated in low-income settings where populations have limited knowledge of stroke symptoms and literacy levels are low.
To simultaneously validate the 8-item QVSFS in 3 languages spoken in West Africa (Yoruba, Hausa and Akan) for ascertainment of stroke-free status of control subjects in SIREN.
Using a cross-sectional study design, 100 participants each from the 3 linguistic groups will be consecutively recruited from neurology and general medicine clinics of 5 tertiary referral hospitals in Nigeria and Ghana. Ascertainment of stroke status will be determined by neurologists using structured neurological examination, review of case records and neuro-imaging (Gold standard). The relative performance of QVSFS without and with pictures of stroke symptoms (pictograms) will be assessed using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV).
The proposed study will provide valuable data on the performance of the QVSFS in resource-limited settings.
用于验证无卒中状态的问卷（QVSFS）已在西方人群中得到验证，可作为在临床、流行病学和基因研究参与者中验证无卒中状态的一种方法。在卒中症状知晓有限且识字水平较低的低收入环境中，该工具尚未得到验证。
同时验证西非使用的三种语言（约鲁巴语、豪萨语和阿坎语）的8项QVSFS，以确定SIREN中对照受试者的无卒中状态。
采用横断面研究设计，从尼日利亚和加纳的5家三级转诊医院的神经科和普通内科诊所连续招募100名来自这三个语言群体的参与者。卒中状态的确定将由神经科医生通过结构化神经检查、病例记录回顾和神经影像学检查（金标准）来完成。将使用敏感性、特异性、阳性预测值（PPV）和阴性预测值（NPV）评估有无卒中症状图片（象形图）的QVSFS的相对性能。
拟开展的研究将提供关于QVSFS在资源有限环境中的性能的宝贵数据。
