Validation of the Hindi Version of the Bronchiectasis Health Questionnaire in a Hindi-speaking Indian population

BackgroundBronchiectasis is a debilitating respiratory condition characterized by chronic cough with expectoration of thick sputum. It accounts for significant morbidity and mortality, especially when associated with exacerbations. Assessing the health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of patients with bronchiectasis is important to ascertain the impact of the disease on day-to-day life, as well as to gauge the effect of targeted interventions. Conventionally used methods for assessing HR-QoL such as the St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) are time-consuming and have limitations in day-to-day application. The Bronchiectasis Health Questionnaire (BHQ) is a novel, compact tool used for assessing the HR-QoL, and has been validated for use in Korean and Turkish populations. MethodsWe attempted to develop and validate the Hindi version of the Bronchiectasis Health Questionnaire (BHQ) in Indian adults with bronchiectasis. We assessed the correlation between the Hindi BHQ (H-BHQ) scores and other measures of lung health including the Hindi version of the COPD Assessment Tool (H-CAT), pulmonary function tests and the bronchiectasis severity index (BSI). In addition, we assessed the correlation between the H-BHQ scores and the number of exacerbations and hospital admissions in the previous year. ResultsA total of 145 subjects with bronchiectasis were included. The mean ({+/-} SD) H-BHQ total score was 49.10 {+/-} 10.3. The H-BHQ score correlated well with the H-CAT score (Correlation coefficient -0.6534, p value < 0.0001) and the mMRC scale (Correlation coefficient of -0.4459,p value < 0.0001). The H-BHQ score also had a moderate correlation with the number of exacerbations and low correlation with hospital admissions in the previous year, with correlation coefficients of -0.4193 (p < 0.0001) and -0.3030 (p < 0.0001), respectively. The correlation between the H-BHQ and the Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) score was weak (Correlation coefficient of -0.3012, p value < 0.01). ConclusionThe H-BHQ offers a simple and convenient method to assess the HR-QoL in patients with bronchiectasis, and correlates well with other measures of respiratory health, including the H-CAT, the mMRC score and the number of exacerbations and hospital admissions in the previous year.