Transcultural adaptation of a French version the quality of life in late-stage dementia (QUALID) scale for older adults with severe cognitive impairment: A preliminary study and research perspectives.
Geriatric Nursing. 2026-04-01; 69: 103855
DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2026.103855
Chanteclair A(1), Corbineau C(2), Etchegoyen C(3), Fossaert R(3), Coelho J(4), Roubaud-Baudron C(5), Lloyd S(6).
Author information:
(1)Department of Clinical Gerontology, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux
F-33000, France; CNRS, SANPSY, USR 3413, Bordeaux F-33000, France. Electronic
address: .
(2)Department of Clinical Gerontology, Bayonne Hospital, Bayonne F-64100,
France. Electronic address: .
(3)Department of Clinical Gerontology, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux
F-33000, France.
(4)Department of Clinical Gerontology, Bayonne Hospital, Bayonne F-64100,
France; Sleep Clinic, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux F-33000, France.
(5)Department of Clinical Gerontology, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux
F-33000, France; INSERM, U853, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33000, France.
(6)Department of Clinical Gerontology, Bayonne Hospital, Bayonne F-64100,
France.
BACKGROUND: Assessing quality of life (QOL) in individuals with severe cognitive
impaisrment is challenging, particularly in the absence of a validated tool in
French. The Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia (QUALID) scale is an
internationally used caregiver-reported measure of QOL. This study aimed to
culturally adapt and assess the preliminary psychometric properties of the scale
in a French-speaking population.
METHODS: A structured cross-cultural adaptation was conducted with expert
transversal panel, followed by a pilot study in a long-term care unit. Thirty
caregivers assessed 38 patients using the translated scale. Reliability and
acceptability were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC),
internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha, and caregivers’ feedback.
RESULTS: From independant scientific and non-scientific adaptations, consensus
was rapidly achieved by the multidisciplinary expert panel on the final French
adaptation. The pilot study confirmed the quality of the adaptation, where the
QUALID scale demonstrated moderate inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.74) but
limited internal consistency (α = 0.28). It was well accepted among interviewed
caregivers.
CONCLUSION: This study provides a French-adapted QoL scale for older adults with
severe cognitive disorders and supports its feasibility in clinical settings,
highlighting the need for large-scale psychometric validation of the French
QUALID. »
Copyright © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2026.103855
PMID: 41579659
Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this
paper.