Reliability and Validity of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Symptom Checklist in Chinese Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Background/Aims: The purpose of this research was to translate and culturally adapt the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Symptom Checklist (SSC) and evaluate its reliability and validity in Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Materials and Methods: The development of the Chinese version of SSC (SSC-C) followed Brislin’s translation model. Patients aged ≥ 18 years who met the classification criteria for SLE were enrolled from 4 hospitals. Item analysis, reliability analysis (internal consistency and test–retest reliability), and validity analysis (construct and convergent validity) were used to evaluate the reliability and validity of SSC-C in Chinese SLE patients.

Results: From June to September 2024, a total of 217 SLE patients were included. The mean age was 37.7 years (SD = 13.0), and 83.9% of participants were female. According to the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index-2K (SLEDAI-2K), 43.3% of patients had mild disease activity, and 28.6% had moderate disease activity. Fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom (66.4%). The SSC-C included 33 items. The internal consistency reliability was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.893), and test–retest reliability was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.684). The exploratory factor analysis revealed the extraction of 10 common factors, accounting for a cumulative variance contribution rate of 62.336%. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the total score of SSC-C and each subscale of the medical outcomes study 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) were below −0.300, indicating moderate correlations.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the SSC-C is a potentially practical and reliable instrument for assessing symptom-related quality of life in Chinese SLE patients.

Cite this article as: Chen J, Zhang L, Huang Z, et al. Reliability and validity of the systemic lupus erythematosus symptom checklist in Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus patients. ArchRheumatol. Published online July 31, 2026. doi: 10.5152/ArchRheumatol.2026.26347.