Health status in rheumatoid arthritis: cross cultural evaluation of a Portuguese version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (BRASIL-AIMS2).

OBJECTIVE

To develop a Portuguese version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (AIMS2) and to evaluate its measurement properties in Brazilian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

The BRASIL-AIMS2 was developed through the stages of initial translation, back translation, definition of the first Portuguese version, and committee review. Convergent validity was determined by administering the questionnaire to 32 patients with RA and correlating it with several clinical and laboratory variables. Twenty-five of the 32 patients were interviewed 3 times to evaluate test-retest and interobserver reliability.

RESULTS

Six translated questions were replaced due to the lack of cultural equivalence. The mean time of administering the questionnaire was about 30 minutes. The test-retest and interobserver reliability were satisfactory, except for Health Perception, and correlation coefficients ranged from 0.87 to 0.98. The Physical, Symptom, and Role components were statistically correlated with Health Assessment Questionnaire, functional class, morning stiffness, and physician assessed disease activity.

CONCLUSION

The Physical, Symptom, and Role subscales of the BRASIL-AIMS2 may be useful in the evaluation of quality of life in Brazilian patients with RA.