Psychometric properties of the Brazilian Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument - electronic version

Introduction: Validated instruments assess asthma control, improving its management. Most are available only in electronic versions, which may limit the assessment of children who live far from reference centers. Nevertheless, electronic instruments for assessing asthma control in the Brazilian population are scarce. Objective: To assess the psychometric properties of the electronic version of the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument (e-PACCI). Methods: This exploratory psychometric study included caregivers of children or adolescents diagnosed with asthma. Those who dropped out or had difficulties understanding and communicating were excluded. A two-week interval was adopted between the standard interview and e-PACCI assessments. Results: A total of 62 individuals were included in the study; 95.1% were women. The e-PACCI presented good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.84) and agreement (ICC = 0.87; CI = 0.81 to 0.91; p < 0.001). The t-test demonstrated equality between versions (p = 0.94). The criterion validity for the asthma control domain presented a moderate correlation between versions (r = 0.52; p = 0.01), and the Spearman test correlated the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory with the asthma control domain of the e-PACCI for construct validity. The asthma symptoms and treatment problems domains presented moderate (r = 0.63; p < 0.001) and weak correlations (r = 0.28; p = 0.02), respectively. In addition, the worry and communication domains did not correlate. Conclusion: The e-PACCI demonstrated reliable and valid psychometric properties.