RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Recurrent, often unpredictable, migraine attacks significantly interfere with daily functioning and productivity of patients with migraine. Quality of life measurement represents an important tool for evaluating migraine therapy and judging the impact of headache either on individuals or on society. The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the translated version of MSQoL (Migraine-Specific Quality of Life) in Korean migraine patients. METHODS: Participants, migraineurs from the Samsung Medical Center Migraine Clinic, were screened using the International Headache Society migraine criteria prior to enrollment through direct interview. This survey included the MSQoL, MIDAS (Migraine Disability assessment) and STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). RESULTS: Sixty-five migraineurs were recruited. For the MSQoL, Cronbach's alpha was 0.93. Frequency and number of accompanying symptoms were predictive of the MSQoL. The negative correlation between the MSQoL scores and the MIDAS score was seen (r=-0.585, p<0.01). Similarly a negative correlation between the MSQoL scores and duration of headache was also observed (r=-0.38, p<0.01). Although a significant negative correlation between the MSQoL and STAI scores was present (r=-0.47, p<0.01), correlation between the MIDAS and the STAI scores was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The MSQoL is a reliable and valuable migraine-specific quantitative tool to assess the degree of quality of life in Korean migraineurs. It has a potential to provide valuable information on migraineur's disability and anxiety level. The MSQoL has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to estimate long-term outcome of migraine therapy in Korean population.