The reliability and validity of a measure to assess the health-related quality of life of female alopecia areata patients.

Alopecia areata (AA) impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The Women's Androgenetic Alopecia Quality of Life (WAA-QoL) is a reliable, validated HRQoL measure in female patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA). There is no equivalent measure for females with AA. Data were collected as part of GRASS Australia. The WAA-QoL, DLQI, and Skindex-16 for AA, as well as SALT score, were extracted from GRASS for adult female patients. Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis was employed to determine the internal consistency of the measure, while non-parametric correlation testing assessed the validity of the questionnaire. Overall, 137 individuals completed the questionnaires. There was excellent internal consistency of the WAA-QoL among female AA patients (Cronbach's α = 0.98). A moderate and high positive correlation was found between the WAA-QoL and the DLQI and the Skindex-16 for AA, respectively. The WAA-QoL is a reliable and valid assessment of HRQoL among female patients with AA.