Validation of the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality of Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL)

Melba Muñoz; Pascale Salameh; Sabine Altrichter; Leslie Durner; Clara Geppert-Steidl; Petra Staubach; Jonathan A Bernstein; Karsten Weller

doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2025.10.002

Validation of the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality of Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL)

Melba Muñoz^*, Pascale Salameh, Sabine Altrichter, Leslie Durner, Clara Geppert-Steidl, Petra Staubach, Jonathan A Bernstein, Karsten Weller

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Dermatology and Venereology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic Dermographism (SD) is the most common subtype of chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU). It is characterized by the recurrent appearance of itch and subsequent strip-shaped wheals induced by applying shear forces on the skin, such as stroking or rubbing. The impossibility to avoid symptom's occurrence in the majority of cases leads to a marked quality of life (QoL) impairment. As of yet, a validated and disease-specific instrument to adequately assess QoL in SD patients is not available.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to validate the first disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure to assess health-related QoL impairment in SD patients, the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL).

METHODS: A 13-item QoL questionnaire had been previously generated and published. Now, the SD-QoL was analyzed regarding its domain structure and tested for its reliability and validity by evaluating its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent and known groups validity.

RESULTS: In total, 106 SD patients participated in the SD-QoL validation study. The results suggest a 34-domain structure ('symptoms', 'functioning', and ' 'emotions'/`appearance´) with an excellent internal consistency of the domains as well as the overall instrument. Furthermore, the analyses indicated high levels of convergent validity and known-groups validity as well as an excellent test-retest reliability.

CONCLUSION: The SD-QoL is the first validated disease-specific-QoL instrument for SD that allows assessing QoL of SD patients in clinical trials as well as in routine patient care.

Original language	English
Number of pages	25
Journal	The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2025.10.002
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 10 Oct 2025

Fields of science

302002 Allergology
302011 Dermatology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jaip.2025.10.002

Cite this

@article{0977eb3ee4014c34b4e5bc10130ddab1,

title = "Validation of the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality of Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL)",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Symptomatic Dermographism (SD) is the most common subtype of chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU). It is characterized by the recurrent appearance of itch and subsequent strip-shaped wheals induced by applying shear forces on the skin, such as stroking or rubbing. The impossibility to avoid symptom's occurrence in the majority of cases leads to a marked quality of life (QoL) impairment. As of yet, a validated and disease-specific instrument to adequately assess QoL in SD patients is not available.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to validate the first disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure to assess health-related QoL impairment in SD patients, the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL).METHODS: A 13-item QoL questionnaire had been previously generated and published. Now, the SD-QoL was analyzed regarding its domain structure and tested for its reliability and validity by evaluating its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent and known groups validity.RESULTS: In total, 106 SD patients participated in the SD-QoL validation study. The results suggest a 34-domain structure ('symptoms', 'functioning', and ' 'emotions'/`appearance´) with an excellent internal consistency of the domains as well as the overall instrument. Furthermore, the analyses indicated high levels of convergent validity and known-groups validity as well as an excellent test-retest reliability.CONCLUSION: The SD-QoL is the first validated disease-specific-QoL instrument for SD that allows assessing QoL of SD patients in clinical trials as well as in routine patient care.",

author = "Melba Mu{\~n}oz and Pascale Salameh and Sabine Altrichter and Leslie Durner and Clara Geppert-Steidl and Petra Staubach and Bernstein, \{Jonathan A\} and Karsten Weller",

note = "Copyright {\textcopyright} 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2025",

month = oct,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1016/j.jaip.2025.10.002",

language = "English",

journal = "The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice",

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T1 - Validation of the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality of Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL)

AU - Muñoz, Melba

AU - Salameh, Pascale

AU - Altrichter, Sabine

AU - Durner, Leslie

AU - Geppert-Steidl, Clara

AU - Staubach, Petra

AU - Bernstein, Jonathan A

AU - Weller, Karsten

PY - 2025/10/10

Y1 - 2025/10/10

N2 - BACKGROUND: Symptomatic Dermographism (SD) is the most common subtype of chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU). It is characterized by the recurrent appearance of itch and subsequent strip-shaped wheals induced by applying shear forces on the skin, such as stroking or rubbing. The impossibility to avoid symptom's occurrence in the majority of cases leads to a marked quality of life (QoL) impairment. As of yet, a validated and disease-specific instrument to adequately assess QoL in SD patients is not available.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to validate the first disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure to assess health-related QoL impairment in SD patients, the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL).METHODS: A 13-item QoL questionnaire had been previously generated and published. Now, the SD-QoL was analyzed regarding its domain structure and tested for its reliability and validity by evaluating its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent and known groups validity.RESULTS: In total, 106 SD patients participated in the SD-QoL validation study. The results suggest a 34-domain structure ('symptoms', 'functioning', and ' 'emotions'/`appearance´) with an excellent internal consistency of the domains as well as the overall instrument. Furthermore, the analyses indicated high levels of convergent validity and known-groups validity as well as an excellent test-retest reliability.CONCLUSION: The SD-QoL is the first validated disease-specific-QoL instrument for SD that allows assessing QoL of SD patients in clinical trials as well as in routine patient care.

AB - BACKGROUND: Symptomatic Dermographism (SD) is the most common subtype of chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU). It is characterized by the recurrent appearance of itch and subsequent strip-shaped wheals induced by applying shear forces on the skin, such as stroking or rubbing. The impossibility to avoid symptom's occurrence in the majority of cases leads to a marked quality of life (QoL) impairment. As of yet, a validated and disease-specific instrument to adequately assess QoL in SD patients is not available.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to validate the first disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure to assess health-related QoL impairment in SD patients, the Symptomatic Dermographism Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (SD-QoL).METHODS: A 13-item QoL questionnaire had been previously generated and published. Now, the SD-QoL was analyzed regarding its domain structure and tested for its reliability and validity by evaluating its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent and known groups validity.RESULTS: In total, 106 SD patients participated in the SD-QoL validation study. The results suggest a 34-domain structure ('symptoms', 'functioning', and ' 'emotions'/`appearance´) with an excellent internal consistency of the domains as well as the overall instrument. Furthermore, the analyses indicated high levels of convergent validity and known-groups validity as well as an excellent test-retest reliability.CONCLUSION: The SD-QoL is the first validated disease-specific-QoL instrument for SD that allows assessing QoL of SD patients in clinical trials as well as in routine patient care.

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