The Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) was written by R J Motley and A Y Finlay and first published in 1992. This guide explains who it is for, how it is scored, what the scores mean, the research behind it, and how to get it and license it.
The short answer
The Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) measures disability and quality-of-life impairment caused by acne. It is for teenagers and young adults with acne, has 5 questions, asks about the last month, and gives a total score from 0 to 15. Cardiff's page does not publish score bands for it.
Table of Contents
How the CADI is scored
Each answer is scored as follows: answer (a) 3, (b) 2, (c) 1, (d) 0 for each item. The answers are added together to give a total from 0 to 15. Higher scores mean a bigger impact on quality of life.
Respondents should complete it on their own, without being guided towards any answer, and the score numbers must not be printed next to the answer options. Under Cardiff’s general guidance, a questionnaire with one unanswered question can still be scored, but two or more unanswered questions make it invalid.
Who the CADI is for
Teenagers and young adults with acne.
Authors: R J Motley and A Y Finlay. First published: 1992. Original paper: Motley RJ, Finlay AY. Clin Exp Dermatol 1992;17:1-3.
Copyright statement: © Cardiff Acne Disability Index. R J Motley, A Y Finlay 1992. By agreement, Cardiff University now owns and administers the copyright.
Research and validation
- Clinical experience and psychometric properties (Abdelrazik YT et al. Br J Dermatol 2021;185:711-724)
- French validation (Dreno B et al. Dermatology 2004;208:104-108)
- Filipino validation (Mojica WP et al. Acta Med Philipp 2017;51(2))
- Tamil validation, Sri Lanka (Prathapan S et al. J Patient Rep Outcomes 2024;8(1):109)
- Sinhala validation (Liyanage A et al. Patient Relat Outcome Meas 2024;15:131-141)
How to get the CADI and when you need a licence
Patients and clinicians can use the CADI, in any available language, for routine clinical care without a licence and at no charge. It can be downloaded from Cardiff University’s CADI page. Data collected as part of routine care can also be analysed and published without a licence.
Students need a free licence, which must be requested by a member of staff at their institution, usually the research or medical supervisor, through Cardiff’s online form. A separate licence is needed for each questionnaire.
There is no fee for the CADI, but you still need a licence for anything other than routine clinical use. Apply by emailing Cardiff’s Technology Transfer office (technologytransfer@cardiff.ac.uk); the online licensing form does not cover it.
The wording, format and question order cannot be changed. Electronic versions need Cardiff’s formal permission, and the copyright statement must stay visible.
Related questionnaires
The CADI is one of a family of quality-of-life measures developed at Cardiff University. See the full guide to dermatology quality of life questionnaires, or the individual guides: DLQI · CDLQI · FDLQI · IDQOL · DFI · PDI.
Frequently asked questions
What does the CADI measure?
Who is the CADI for?
How is the CADI scored?
Is the CADI free to use?