Reliability and validity of Turkish version of Migraine-Specific Quality of Life v2.1 questionnaire
Pınar Yalınay Dikmen1
, Ayşenur Şahin1, Elif Ilgaz Aydınlar1, Tuba Erdogan Soyukibar1, Aynur Özge2, Rahşan Karacı3, Burcu Polat4, Tuba Cerrahoğlu Şirin5, Damla Hazal Saral6, Bahar Taşdelen6
1Department of Neurology, Acıbadem University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Türkiye
2Department of Neurology, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Mersin, Türkiye
3Department of Neurology, University of Health Sciences, Erenköy Psychiatry and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Türkiye
4Department of Neurology, Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Düzce, Türkiye
5Department of Neurology, University of Health Sciences, Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Türkiye
6Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye
Keywords: Clinical scale, Health-Related Quality of Life, migraine, Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, reliability; validity.
Abstract
Background: This study aims to assess whether the Turkish version of the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire v2.1 (MSQ v2.1) is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating the impact of migraine on daily functioning and overall quality of life.
Patients and Methods: This multi-center, descriptive, prospective study included a total of 182 migraine patients between December 2023 and May 2024. All patients were assessed at two visits with a four-week interval. The Turkish MSQ v2.1 was evaluated for comprehensibility, patient-physician reliability, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity.
Results: Of a total of 182 patients, 19 were male and 163 were female with a mean age of 40.8±12.2 (range, 18 to 73) years. Item comprehensibility was high, with 94 to 97.8% at Visit 1, and from 98.4 to 100% at Visit 2. A strong correlation was observed between self-administered and physician-administered MSQ v2.1 scores at Visit 1 (r = 0.916, p < 0.001). Internal consistency was excellent, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.932 at Visit 1 and 0.912 at Visit 2. Test-retest reliability was moderate (r = 0.468, p < 0.001). Construct validity was supported by strong correlations with the Headache Impact Test-6 (r = 0.751 at Visit 1 and r = 0.772 at Visit 2), monthly headache days (r = 0.453 and 0.553), and Numeric Rating Scale scores (r = 0.539 and 0.564), all with p < 0.001.
Conclusion: The Turkish MSQ v2.1 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQL) in migraine patients. It demonstrates excellent internal consistency, moderate test-retest reliability, and strong correlations with established measures of HRQL, headache severity, migraine frequency, and supporting its use in clinical practice and research.
Cite this article as: Yalınay Dikmen P, Şahin A, Ilgaz Aydınlar E, Erdogan Soyukibar T, Özge A, Karacı R, et al. Reliability and validity of Turkish version of Migraine-Specific Quality of Life v2.1 questionnaire. Agri 2026;38(2):83-95. doi: 10.5606/agri.2026.21.