Quality of life assessment scales in polio survivors: a scoping review

Quality of life evaluation is essential to explore the effect of paralytic polio on the daily life experience of the polio survivor. Researchers have employed a range of assessment instruments to evaluate quality of life among polio survivors. Hence, to select the appropriate scale, it is crucial to compare the contents and psychometric properties of these instruments.

This scoping review explores quality of life instruments that are used in polio literature and analyzes their contents and psychometric properties using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) criteria.

Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, we conducted a literature search in the following electronic databases Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies that focused on quality of life of polio survivors. Of the 88 articles that qualify for full-text screening, 34 studies met our inclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers extracted data from the selected studies via Covidence, a reference manager that allows for blinding of reviews.

Most of the instruments included in this review are generic, self-reported, and multidimensional. Despite having mostly adequate psychometric properties, these properties were not evaluated in polio survivors.

The information provided in this review could be used to guide instrument selection and identify the need to develop a new tool or to adapt a pre-existing scale for measuring quality of life among polio survivors.