Content from the HealthActCHQ Manuals (including norms, proprietary scoring algorithms, weights etc. and related syntax) or items from the surveys themselves may not be included in any appendices, reports, manuscripts or reproduced without expressed written permission from HealthActCHQ.

CHQ: Child Health Questionnaire

The Child Health Questionnaire™ (CHQ) is a family of generic person-reported outcomes measures to assess health-related quality of life for children and adolescents from 5-to-18 years of age. There are both parent-reported and child self-completed versions of varying lengths (CHQ-PF50, PF28, CF87 and CF45).

The parent-reported CHQ is normed for ages 5-to-18 and measures 14 unique physical and psychosocial concepts. It is available in 2 lengths - 50 items (CHQ-PF50) or 28 items (CHQ-PF28). The latter survey measures all of the same concepts with fewer items. Scores for the parent-reported versions can be analyzed at the concept level (CHQ Profile Scores), or combined to derive an overall physical and psychosocial score, (CHQ Summary Scores). The child self-reported CHQ surveys – the CHQ-CF87 full-length 87-item self-report, and the CHQ-CF45 short-form version - are scored at the concept/scale level only.

HealthActCHQ (HACHQ) provides an electronic CHQ Scoring and Interpretation Manual for the CHQ-PF50, PF28 and CF87 Surveys. There is a separate Manual for the newly released CHQ-CF45.

The 212-page Manual for the CHQ-PF50, PF28 and CF87 provides information about the conceptual framework and development of the CHQ, and the proprietary scoring algorithms. The Manual also provides U.S, norms and several condition specific benchmarks for the parent versions. The Manual is available for approved licensed users as a downloadable interactive PDF with hyperlinks in both the Table of Contents and the Appendix of Tables for smooth navigation. Users can also click on URLs within the Manual to access the latest updates on translations and the online Bibliography at the HealthActCHQ website.

In 2017, U.S. norms were released to licensed users for the CHQ-CF87.

In 2018, the CHQ portfolio of PRO measures was expanded to include an empirically derived 45-item child self-report short-form. With the completion of comprehensive scientific work, a scoring Manual, U.S. based norms for ages 8-to-18, and rigorous linguistic validations, HealthActCHQ has now released a 45-item child self-report short-form, (CHQ-CF45) for licensure. A scientific manuscript documenting the development, reliability, validity and precision of the CHQ-CF45, was published in Quality of Life Research in 2018. The full citation can be found at the HACHQ online Bibliography page. 

The CHQ-PF50, PF28, CF87, and CF45 have been extensively translated using rigorous international guidelines. Please see our Translations for more information.

All CHQ surveys, translations, norms, and scoring manuals are available to approved, paid licensed users via a fully-automated password protected online download system.

Completion Times

Completion times can vary depending on a complex host of issues such as the setting, context, age, cognitive functioning, language, layout, etc.

It is estimated that the CHQ-PF28 can be completed in 5-10 minutes, the CHQ-PF50 requires 10-15 minutes, and the average completion time for the CHQ-CF87 in an national U.S. representative sample was 14 minutes. For the CHQ- CF45, the average completion time in a school-based study of grades 2-8 was 11 minutes; the low end was 4-6 minutes.

Response Options

CHQ response options vary - for example some scales ask about the past 4 weeks, the global health items asks about health "in general" and the global change items asks as compared to one year ago. Response options also vary from 4-6 levels for the scales.

FOLLOWING IS THE ITEM CONTENT FOR THE CHQ SURVEYS:

Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 50 Questions (CHQ-PF50)

• In general, how would you rate your child's health?
• Has your child been limited in any of the following activities due to health problems - doing things that take a lot of energy, such as playing soccer or running; doing things that take some energy such as riding a bike or skating; ability (physically) to get around the neighborhood, playground, or school; walking one block or climbing one flight of stairs; bending, lifting,/stooping; taking care of him/herself?
• Has your child's school work or activities with friends been limited in any of the following ways due to emotional difficulties or problems with his/her behavior - limited in the kind of schoolwork or activities with friends he/she could do; limited in the amount of time he/she could spend on schoolwork or activities with friends; limited in performing schoolwork or activities with friends?
• Has your child's school work or activities with friends been limited in any of the following ways due to problems with his/her physical health - limited in the kind of schoolwork or activities with friends he/she could do; limited in the amount of time he/she could spend on schoolwork or activities with friends?
• How much bodily pain or discomfort has your child had?
• How often has your child had bodily pain or discomfort?
• How often did each of the following statements describe your child - argued a lot; had difficulty concentrating or paying attention; lied/cheated; stole things; had tantrums?
• Compared to other children your child's age, in general how would you rate his/her behavior?
• How much of the time do you think your child: felt like crying; felt lonely; acted nervous; bothered or upset; cheerful?
• How satisfied do you think your child has felt about: his/her school ability; athletic ability; friendships; looks/appearance; family relationships; life overall?
• My child seems to be less healthy than other children I know; My child has never been seriously ill; When there is something going around my child usually catches it; I expect my child will have a very healthy life; I worry more about my child's health than other people.
• Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your child's health now?
• How much emotional worry or concern did each of the following cause you - your child's physical health; emotional well-being or behavior; attention or learning abilities?
• Were you limited in the amount of time you had for your own needs because of your child's - physical health; emotional well-being or behavior; attention or learning abilities?
• How often has your child's health or behavior - limited the types of activities you could do as a family; interrupted various everyday family activities; limited your ability as a family to "pick up and go"; caused tension or conflict; been a source of disagreements or arguments in your family; caused you to cancel or change plans (personal or work) at the last minute?
• In general, how would you rate your family's ability to get along with one another?

Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 28 Questions  (CHQ-PF28)

• In general, how would you rate your child's health?
• Has your child been limited in any of the following activities due to health problems - doing things that take a lot of energy, such as playing soccer or running; doing things that take some energy such as riding a bike or skating; bending, lifting, or stooping
• Has your child's been limited in the amount of time he/she could spend on schoolwork or activities with friends due to emotional difficulties or problems with his/her behavior?
• Has your child been limited in the kind of schoolwork or activities he/she could do with friends due to problems with his/her physical health?
• How often has your child had bodily pain or discomfort?
• How often did each of the following statements describe your child - argued a lot; had difficulty concentrating or paying attention; lied/cheated?
• Compared to other children your child's age, in general how would you rate his/her behavior?
• How much of the time do you think your child: felt lonely; acted nervous; bothered or upset?
• How satisfied do you think your child has felt about: his/her school ability; friendships; life overall?
• My child seems to be less healthy than other children I know; My child has never been seriously ill; I worry more about my child's health than other people.
• Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your child's health now?
• How much emotional worry or concern did each of the following cause you - your child's physical health; emotional well-being or behavior?
• Were you limited in the amount of time you had for your own needs because of your child's - physical health; emotional well-being or behavior?
• How often has your child's health or behavior - limited the types of activities you could do as a family; interrupted various everyday family activities (eating meals, watching tv)?
• In general, how would you rate your family's ability to get along with one another?

Child Health Questionnaire Child Form 87 Questions (CHQ-CF87)

• In general, how would you say your health is?
• Has it been difficult for you to do the following activities due to health problems - doing things that take a lot of energy, such as playing soccer or running; doing things that take some energy such as riding a bike or skating; walk several blocks or climb several flights of stairs; ability (physically) to get around the neighborhood, playground, or school; walk one block or climbing one flight of stairs; do your tasks around the house; bend, lift or stoop; eat, dress, bathe or go to the toilet by yourself; get in/out of bed?
• Has it been difficult to do certain kinds of schoolwork or activities with friends because of problems like feeling sad or worried; spend the usual amount of time on schoolwork or activities with friends; get schoolwork done at all or do any activities with friends?
• Has it been difficult to do certain kinds of schoolwork or activities with friends because of problems with your behavior; spend the usual amount of time on schoolwork or activities with friends; get schoolwork done at all or do any activities with friends?
• Has it been difficult to do certain kinds of schoolwork or activities with friends because of problems with your physical health; spend the usual amount of time on schoolwork or activities with friends; get schoolwork done at all or do any activities with friends?
• How much bodily pain or discomfort have you had?How often have you had bodily pain or discomfort?
• How often did each of the following statements describe you; acted too young for your age; argued; had a hard time paying attention; did not do what your teacher or parent asked you to do; wanted to be alone; lied/cheated; had a hard time getting others to like you; felt clumsy; ran away from home; had speech problems; stole things at home or outside the home; acted mean or moody if you did not get what you wanted; got really mad when you did not get what you wanted; found it hard to be with others; had a hard time getting along with others.
• Compared to other children your age, in general how would you rate your behavior?
• How much of the time do you: feel sad; feel like crying; feel afraid or scared; worry about things; feel lonely; feel unhappy; feel nervous; feel bothered or upset; feel happy; feel cheerful; enjoy the things you do; have fun; feel jittery or restless; have trouble sleeping; have headaches; like yourself?
• How good or bad have you felt about: yourself; your school work; your ability to play sports; your friendships; the things you can do; the way you get along with others; your body and your looks; the way you seem to feel most of the time; the way you get along with your family; the way life seems to be for you; your ability to be a friend to others; the way others seem to feel about you; your ability to talk with others; your health in general?
• My health is excellent; I was so sick once I thought I might die; I do not seem to get very sick; I seem to be less healthy than other kids I know; I have never been very, very sick; I always seem to get sick; I think I will be less healthy when I get older; I think I will be very healthy when I get older; I never worry about my health; I think I am healthy now; I think I worry more about my health than other kids my age.
• Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your health now?
• How often has your health or behavior - limited the types of activities you could do as a family; interrupted various everyday family activities; limited your ability as a family to "pick up and go"; caused tension or conflict; been a source of disagreements or arguments in your family; caused your family to cancel or change plans at the last minute?
• n general, how would you rate your family's ability to get along with one another?

Child Health Questionnaire Child Form 45 Questions (CHQ-CF45)

• In general, how would you say your health is?
• Has it been difficult for you to do the following activities due to health problems - doing things that take a lot of energy, such as playing soccer or running; doing things that take some energy such as riding a bike or skating; walk several blocks or climb several flights of stairs; ability (physically) to get around the neighborhood, playground, or school; do your tasks around the house; bend, lift or stoop;
• Has it been difficult to spend the usual amount of time on schoolwork or activities with friends; get schoolwork done at all or do any activities with friends because of problems like feeling sad or worried or with your behavior?
• Has it been difficult to spend the usual amount of time on schoolwork or activities with friends; get schoolwork done at all or do any activities with friends because of problems with your physical health?
• How much bodily pain or discomfort have you had? How often have you had bodily pain or discomfort?
• How often did each of the following statements describe you; acted too young for your age; argued; had a hard time paying attention; did not do what your teacher or parent asked you to do; lied/cheated; acted mean or moody or got really mad if you did not get what you wanted?
• Compared to other children your age, in general how would you rate your behavior?
• How much of the time did you: feel sad; feel afraid or scared; worry about things; feel unhappy; feel happy; feel cheerful; enjoy the things you do; have trouble sleeping; have headaches?
• How good or bad have you felt about: your friendships; the things you can do; the way you get along with others; your body and your looks; your ability to be a friend to others; the way others seem to feel about you; your ability to talk with others?
• I seem to be less healthy than other kids I know; I think I will be less healthy when I get older; I think I will be very healthy when I get older; I think I am healthy now.
• Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your health now?
• How often has your health or behavior - limited the types of activities you could do as a family; interrupted various everyday family activities; limited your ability as a family to "pick up and go”?
• In general, how would you rate your family's ability to get along with one another?