RHINOCONJUNCTIVITIS QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE (RQLQ)

Introduction

The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was developed to measure the functional problems (physical, emotional, social and occupational) that are most troublesome to adults (17-70 years) with either seasonal or perennial rhinoconjunctivitis of either allergic or non-allergic origin. It is rare for patients with rhinitis to have no eye symptoms at all. In those few patients who have no eye involvement, the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire will capture all the problems that they experience due to their nose symptoms. Therefore, we recommend that the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire is used in all patients rather than the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire.

Development

The RQLQ was developed in exactly the same way as the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. After identifying all the functional problems that adults with rhinoconjunctivitis may experience in their daily lives, patients identified the problems that were most troublesome. The problems that were identified most frequently and which scored the highest in importance were included in the RQLQ. These were similar in patients with seasonal and perennial symptoms and those whose symptoms were of allergic and non-allergic original. Therefore, the RQLQ is suitable for all adult patients with rhinoconjunctivitis.

The Questionnaire

The RQLQ has 28 questions in 7 domains (activity limitation, sleep problems, nose symptoms, eye symptoms, non-nose/eye symptoms, practical problems and emotional function). There are 3 ‘patient-specific’ questions in the activity domain which allow patients to select 3 activities in which they are most limited by their rhinoconjunctivitis. Patients recall how bothered they have been by their rhinoconjunctivitis during the previous week and to respond to each question on a 7-point scale (0 = not impaired at all - 6 = severely impaired). The overall RQLQ score is the mean of all 28 responses and the individual domain scores are the means of the items in those domains.

Validity

The RQLQ has excellent measurement properties and has been used extensively throughout the world both in clinical practice and clinical trials. The validation studies have shown that these properties are very similar to those found for the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire.

Primary References

  • Juniper EF, Guyatt GH. Development and testing of a new measure of health status for clinical trials in rhinoconjunctivitis. Clin Exper Allergy 1991; 21: 77-83.
  • Juniper EF, Guyatt GH, Griffith LE, Ferrie PJ. Interpretation of rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire data. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1996; 98: 843-845.

Original language: English for North America

Formats: Paper: Interviewer-administered and self-administered

OTHER REFERENCES

LANGUAGES

OBTAINING THE RQLQ


Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) - original | Standardised Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ(S)) | Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniRQLQ) | Nocturnal Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (NRQLQ)