AIM:To evaluate the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the quality of life scale which measures the quality of life for Chinese patients with visual impairment(SQOL-DV1)when it was used to assess the quality of life(QOL)in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy(TAO)patients.

METHODS:SQOL-DV1 was used to evaluate the QOL of 39 cases with TAO and 31 healthy people as the control group, and then it was analyzed that if the scale can be accurately and effectively assess the quality of life of the TAO patients.

RESULTS:Validity analysis: 1. content validity test. The correlation coefficient between each sub-score was about 0.62 - 0.80(P= 0.00), the correlation coefficient between sub-score and total score was about 0.88-0.89(P= 0.00). 2. Discriminant validity test. The degree scores in patients with TAO were lower than the control group in symptoms and visual function, physical function, social activities, spiritual and psychological of the sub-item scores and scale's total scores(P<0.05). Quality of life scale scores were significantly increased by the treatment(P<0.05). Reliability analysis: 1.The test-retest reliability. The correlation coefficient of repeated measurements was about 0.913(P= 0.00). 2. The Cronbach coefficient was 0.944. Reaction analysis: Effect size statistics(ES)was 0.88.

CONCLUSION: SQOL-DV1 scale is an effective, credible tool to assess the quality of life of the TAO Patients. It can be used for the measurement of quality of life of the TAO Patients in the clinical and related research.