Cross-cultural validation and reliability of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire in a Danish population

BACKGROUND: Chronic cough markedly impairs health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is widely used to assess cough burden across physical, psychological, and social domains; however, no validated Danish version is available.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The LCQ was translated and culturally adapted into Danish in accordance with COSMIN guidelines and was approved by the original developers. Forty-two clinically stable patients with chronic cough (mean age 70.8 years; 67% male) completed baseline and retest questionnaires at a median of 28 days (IQR 21-42). Internal consistency was examined with Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC).

RESULTS: The LCQ-DK demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.96 total; 0.84-0.92 domains). Test-retest reliability was high (ICC = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.79-0.95 total; 0.86-0.89 domains). SEM was 1.14 points (8%) and MDC 3.16 points (23%) for the total score. No floor or ceiling effects were seen for the total score, though ceiling effects up to 12% occurred within domains.

CONCLUSION: The LCQ-DK demonstrates high reliability following cross-cultural adaptation and supports group-level assessment of HRQoL in Danish-speaking patients with chronic cough for clinical and research use.