Quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis: validation of a Spanish version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (Spanish-AIMS).

OBJECTIVE

To translate and validate The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) to be used by Spanish speaking populations.

METHODS

We administered the questionnaire to 97 outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during routine patient care, in most cases with a trained interviewer. Reliability was assessed in stable patients using test-retest at a one-month interval. Internal consistency was evaluated with the coefficient of reliability. Convergent and construct validation was tested using ARA functional class, disease severity, disease activity, patient global assessment, and pain scores. Responsiveness was evaluated with one-tailed Student's t test and percentage of change.

RESULTS

Test-retest reliability was statistically significant for all scales except Activities of Daily Living and Anxiety. The coefficient of reliability was > 0.7 for all scales. Convergent and construct validity was detected with the constructs employed (Pearson's r > 0.4). Four/nine scales detected improvement (p < 0.05) in those patients in whom clinical change was recorded.

CONCLUSION

The Spanish-AIMS retained the methodological properties of the original version and can be used as an outcome measure in Spanish speaking patients with RA.