Methods: The Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire (LVQOL) was translated and adapted into the Chinese-version Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire (CLVQOL). The CLVQOL was completed by 100 randomly selected people with low vision (primary group) and 100 people with normal vision (control group). Ninety-four participants from the primary group completed the CLVQOL a second time 2 weeks later (test–retest group). The internal consistency reliability, test–retest reliability, item-internal consistency, item-discrimination validity, construct validity and discriminatory power of the CLVQOL were calculated.

Results: The review committee agreed that the CLVQOL replicated the meaning of the LVQOL and was sensitive to cultural differences. The Cronbach’s α coefficient and the split-half coefficient for the four scales and total CLVQOL scales were 0.75–0.97. The test–retest reliability as estimated by the intraclass correlations coefficient was 0.69–0.95. Item-internal consistency was >0.4 and item-discrimination validity was generally <0.40. the="" varimax="" rotation="" factor="" analysis="" of="" the="" clvqol="" identified="" four="" principal="" factors.="" the="" quality-of-life="" rating="" of="" four="" subscales="" and="" the="" total="" score="" of="" the="" clvqol="" of="" the="" primary="" group="" were="" lower="" than="" those="" of="" the="" control="" group,="" both="" in="" hospital-based="" subjects="" and="" community-based="">

Conclusion: The CLVQOL Chinese is a culturally specific vision-related quality-of-life measure instrument. It satisfies conventional psychometric criteria, discriminates visually healthy populations from low vision patients and may be valuable in screening the local community as well as for use in clinical practice or research.