Differential item functioning of the Arm function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (AMSQ) by language, a study in six countries

Abstract

Background: The Arm function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (AMSQ) has been developed as a self-reported measure of arm and hand functioning for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The AMSQ was originally developed in Dutch and to date translated into five languages (i.e. English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian). Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate differential item functioning (DIF) of the AMSQ in these languages. Methods: We performed DIF analyses, using “language” as the polytomous group variable. To detect DIF, logistic regression and item response theory principles were applied. Multiple logistic regression models were evaluated. We used a pseudo R2 value of 0.02 or more as the DIF threshold. Results: A total of 1733 male and female patients with all subtypes of MS were included. The DIF analysis for the whole dataset showed no uniform or non-uniform DIF on any of the 31 items. All R2 values were below 0.02. Conclusion: The AMSQ is validated in six languages. All items have the same meaning to MS patients in Dutch, English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian. This validation study enables use of the AMSQ in international studies, for monitoring treatment response and disease progression.

Validity and reliability of Persian version of the Arm Function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire

“…Also, the activities selected in this questionnaire were chosen from the daily activities that the patients are dealing with, have to do them, and over time have coped with these activities, and therefore, the reliability of the questionnaire has been significantly increased. Cronbach’s α in the study in six countries was 0.98 for Spanish, Italian, and English as well as 0.99 for French and German (Kalkers et al, 2019).…”

“…Furthermore, wide information about the hand and upper extremity function collection would help healthcare professionals to determine the service needs of persons with MS. The AMSQ is originally developed in Dutch and has been validated in six languages (Dutch, English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian) (Kalkers et al, 2019). The first Dutch version of AMSQ showed satisfying validity, excellent test–retest reliability (reliability coefficient = 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.94–0.97), standard error of measurement of 6.3 (6.3% of scale range), and smallest detectable changes of 17.5 (on a scale from 0 to 100).…”

Feasibility and usability of a new home-based immersive virtual reality headset-based dexterity training in multiple sclerosis

“…The "Arm Function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire" (AMSQ) is a patient recorded outcome measure (PROM) evaluating the impact of manual dexterity on ADL in pwMS. The AMSQ was validated in several languages showing good validity, test-retest reliability and interobserver reliability (Kalkers et al, 2021, Steinheimer et al, 2018.…”

Cross-sectional and longitudinal correlations between the Arm Function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (AMSQ) and other outcome measures in multiple sclerosis

“…The validity, reliability and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of improvement of this 31-item questionnaire have been described in literature and the AMSQ has been validated in six different languages (Dutch, English, German, Spanish, French and Italian). (Mokkink et al, 2015;Kalkers et al, 2019;Tacchino et al, 2020;van Munster et al, 2020) Moreover, correlations between the AMSQ and established physician-and performance based outcome measures have been researched in previous studies (van Leeuwen et al, 2017;van Munster et al, 2019). Nevertheless, additional research to further strengthen the validity of the AMSQ and to determine its role in clinical practice and research is needed.…”