Objectives: To translate the HIV/AIDS-Targeted Quality of Life Instrument (HAT-QoL) into Brazilian Portuguese, culturally adapt it, and evaluate its psychometric properties (validity and reliability) as a Brazilian version.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the laboratory of infectious diseases at Escola Paulista de Medicina (Universidade Federal de São Paulo). Data were collected on clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of 106 HIV-infected individuals who answered the HAT-QoL and the SF-36. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to measure construct validity. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients.
Results: The sample was 70.8% male. The mean age was 39.9 years, with 40.5% of the participants being homosexual or bisexual. Eleven (10.4%) patients had a CD4 cell count <or= 200 cells/mm(3). A substantial ceiling effect was observed in 7 of 9 HAT-QoL domains (overall function, life satisfaction, health worries, medication worries, HIV acceptance, provider trust, and sexual function). Sexual function was the domain with the highest ceiling effect (63.2%). A substantial floor effect (30.2%) was observed for financial worries. Statistically significant associations were observed between the HAT-QoL domains and clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, as well as with SF-36 domains. Internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha = 0.73-0.90). Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was very high (0.87-0.98 and 0.82-0.97, respectively).
Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the HAT-QoL is valid, reliable, and may contribute to evaluating the impact of HIV infection on the quality of life of patients in Brazil.