Development of a quality of life scale for vitiligo

Background: No vitiligo-specific quality of life scale exists.

Objective: To develop a reliable and valid quality of life scale for vitiligo patients.

Methods: The content was derived from in-depth interviews with vitiligo patients. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity of the scale, VLQI (Vitiligo Life Quality Index), were evaluated.

Results: Internal consistency was high with 30 patients and then with 183 patients (Cronbach's α 0.92 and 0.91). Test-retest scores were correlated (r = 0.86, p < 0.001). There was no difference between the test and retest scores (p > 0.05). VLQI was correlated with DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) (r = 0.77, p < 0.001) and with the perceived severity by the patients (r = 0.57, p < 0.001). There was a significant relationship between the VLQI and the extent of the disease (p = 0.015). Factor analysis revealed six subscales.

Conclusion: The VLQI is a valid and reliable instrument assessing quality of life of vitiligo patients.