QUALITY OF LIFE AND BODY IMAGE IN THE ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF FACIAL LIPOATROPHY: CONSTRUCTION AND VALIDATION OF ASSESSMENT OF FACE & BODY CHANGE AND DISTRESS QUESTIONNAIRE

METHODS: We constructed and tested the validity of a new psychometric questionnaire to assess facial lipoatrophy and measure psychological distress. This questionnaire was coupled to the assessment and body change questionnaire, previously validated in Italian, and built into a single psychometric tool (assessment of face & body change and distress (ABCD-F) questionnaire). Correlations to physical and mental aspects of health-related quality of life were also analysed. RESULTS: Forty-two HIV-infected people of both gender and different ages attending HIV clinic in Modena University were interviewed (type-recorded) in six focus groups in order to evoke description of face lipoatrophy and psychological distress associated with this medical condition. Seventeen new items were added to the pre-existing ABCD questionnaire. Relevant included items were, 'I fear people may understand I have HIV because of my facial wasting', 'I feel upset when people ask me why I have facial wasting', 'my facial wasting make me feel sad' and 'my facial wasting make me feel insecure in social setting'.