Translation, psychometric validation, and baseline results of the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric measures to assess health‐related quality of life of patients with pediatric lymphoma in Malawi

Introduction Internationally validated tools to measure patient‐reported health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) are available, but efforts to translate and culturally validate such tools in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) are scarce, particularly among children. Methods The Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 25‐item pediatric short form (PROMIS‐25) assesses six HRQoL domains—mobility, anxiety, depression, fatigue, peer relationships, and pain interference—by asking four questions per domain. There is a single‐item pain intensity item. The PROMIS‐25 was translated into Chichewa and validated for use in Malawi using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. The validity and reliability of the PROMIS‐25 was assessed. Results Fifty‐four pediatric patients with lymphoma completed the PROMIS‐25. Structural validity was supported by interitem correlations and principal component analysis. Reliability of each scale was satisfactory (range alpha = 0.71‐0.93). Known group validity testing showed that anemic children had worse fatigue (P = 0.016) and children with poor performance status had worse mobility (P