Researchers created and tested an Italian version of a questionnaire that measures how eosinophilic esophagitis (a chronic throat condition) affects people’s quality of life. The study involved 70 Italian adults who answered questions about how the disease impacts their eating, social activities, emotions, and anxiety about choking. The results showed the questionnaire is reliable and accurate for measuring how this condition affects patients’ daily lives. The findings suggest that emotional impact is the biggest challenge for people with this disease, which means doctors should pay special attention to patients’ mental health when treating them.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether a questionnaire designed to measure how eosinophilic esophagitis affects quality of life works well when used with Italian patients
  • Who participated: 70 Italian adults (53 men and 17 women) over age 18 who have been diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis
  • Key finding: The Italian version of the questionnaire works very well and reliably measures how the disease affects patients’ lives. When tested again with the same people, it gave nearly identical results, showing it’s dependable
  • What it means for you: If you have eosinophilic esophagitis in Italy, doctors now have a better tool to understand how your condition is affecting your daily life. This can help them provide more personalized care, especially for emotional challenges

The Research Details

Researchers took an existing English questionnaire about quality of life for people with eosinophilic esophagitis and carefully translated it into Italian. They made sure the translation kept the same meaning and was appropriate for Italian culture. Then they gave this questionnaire to 70 Italian adults with the disease and asked them to answer questions about how their condition affects eating, social activities, emotions, and anxiety. The researchers also gave them other questionnaires to measure depression and anxiety, so they could check if the new questionnaire was measuring what it was supposed to measure.

To make sure the questionnaire was reliable, they asked some patients to fill it out again a few weeks later. They compared the answers to see if people gave similar responses both times. They also looked at whether men and women answered differently, and how the different parts of the questionnaire related to each other.

Having a reliable questionnaire in Italian is important because it lets doctors and researchers in Italy accurately measure how eosinophilic esophagitis affects their patients’ lives. Without a properly tested tool, doctors might miss important problems their patients are experiencing. This questionnaire helps doctors understand the full impact of the disease beyond just physical symptoms.

The study shows strong evidence that the questionnaire works well. The internal consistency scores (which measure whether questions are measuring the same thing) were very high, ranging from 0.826 to 0.966, with the overall score being 0.966. The test-retest reliability score was 0.982, meaning when people answered the same questions again, their answers were nearly identical. This suggests the questionnaire is measuring something real and consistent. However, the study only included 70 people, which is a relatively small group, so results might vary slightly with a larger population.

What the Results Show

The Italian version of the questionnaire proved to be highly reliable and accurate. When researchers looked at the five main areas the questionnaire measures—eating and diet impact, social impact, emotional impact, disease anxiety, and choking anxiety—all of them showed strong internal consistency. This means the questions in each area were measuring the same underlying concept.

When the same patients answered the questionnaire again weeks later, their scores were nearly identical (reliability score of 0.982), which shows the questionnaire gives consistent results over time. The questionnaire also successfully measured what it was supposed to measure, as shown by its strong correlation with other validated measures of quality of life, depression, and anxiety.

One important finding was that female patients reported higher scores on the questionnaire than male patients, suggesting women may experience greater impact on their quality of life from this disease. However, this difference was not statistically significant in all measures.

The study revealed that emotional impact was the most affected dimension of quality of life for people with eosinophilic esophagitis. This finding is particularly important because it suggests that doctors should not only focus on managing the physical symptoms of the disease but also pay attention to the emotional and psychological effects. The questionnaire also showed that anxiety about choking and disease-related anxiety are significant concerns for patients, which doctors should address in their treatment plans.

This study validates what researchers have found in other countries: that eosinophilic esophagitis significantly impacts quality of life, and that emotional and psychological factors are major concerns for patients. The Italian version shows similar reliability and validity to the original English version and versions tested in other languages, suggesting that the questionnaire is a robust tool across different cultures and languages.

The study included only 70 participants, which is a relatively small group. This means the results might not perfectly represent all Italian adults with eosinophilic esophagitis. The study also didn’t include information about how long people had the disease or how severe their symptoms were, which could affect their answers. Additionally, the study didn’t test whether the questionnaire could detect changes in quality of life over time as patients received treatment, which would be important for tracking patient progress.

The Bottom Line

If you have eosinophilic esophagitis in Italy, ask your doctor about using this questionnaire to track how your condition is affecting your quality of life. This can help your doctor understand your full experience with the disease and adjust your treatment plan accordingly. Pay special attention to emotional and psychological support, as the research suggests this is a major area affected by the disease. (Confidence level: High for the questionnaire’s reliability; Moderate for clinical recommendations based on this single study)

This research is most relevant for Italian adults with eosinophilic esophagitis and their doctors. It’s also important for researchers studying this disease in Italy. People with eosinophilic esophagitis in other countries may find this helpful as it shows how the disease affects quality of life, though they would need their own language-specific version of the questionnaire. People without eosinophilic esophagitis don’t need to apply these findings to their own health.

Using this questionnaire won’t directly improve your health, but it will help your doctor understand your situation better. You might notice improvements in your quality of life within weeks to months as your doctor uses this information to adjust your treatment plan, especially regarding emotional support and anxiety management.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your weekly quality of life score using the five dimensions: eating/diet impact (1-10 scale), social impact (1-10 scale), emotional impact (1-10 scale), disease anxiety (1-10 scale), and choking anxiety (1-10 scale). Record these every week to see patterns and share with your doctor
  • Use the app to set specific goals in areas most affected by your disease. For example, if emotional impact is high, set a goal to practice one stress-reduction activity daily. If eating impact is high, track which foods you can tolerate and gradually expand your diet with your doctor’s guidance
  • Review your scores monthly to identify which dimensions are improving or worsening. Share these trends with your healthcare provider during appointments. If emotional impact remains high, discuss mental health support options. Track how changes in treatment correlate with improvements in your overall quality of life score

This research describes a tool for measuring quality of life in people with eosinophilic esophagitis and does not provide medical advice or treatment recommendations. If you have eosinophilic esophagitis or suspect you might have this condition, consult with a qualified gastroenterologist or healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. This questionnaire should be used as part of comprehensive medical care, not as a replacement for professional medical evaluation. The findings are based on a study of 70 Italian adults and may not apply equally to all populations.