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. 2024 May 27:18:1017-1025.
doi: 10.2147/PPA.S452067. eCollection 2024.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Psychometric Properties of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) for Use in Arabic-Speaking Patients in Saudi Arabia

Shiekha S Alaujan  1 , Haya M Almalag  1 , Saja H Almazrou  1 , Nora A Alkhudair  1 , Faris A Alodaibi  2 , Mohammed A Omair  3
Affiliations

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Psychometric Properties of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) for Use in Arabic-Speaking Patients in Saudi Arabia

Shiekha S Alaujan et al. Patient Prefer Adherence. .

Abstract

Background/aim: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex and debilitating condition that significantly impacts patients' daily lives. The continuous assessment of the impact and severity of FM is essential to manage the condition effectively. Assessment tools in Arabic are lacking for use in Saudi Arabia, which might lead to ineffective management. This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt and validate the Arabic version of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR).

Methods: Following translation guidelines, 2 Arabic translators and 2 English-certified translators performed forward and backward translations of the FIQR. In a cross-sectional study design, the questionnaire was piloted with 5 participants and then subjected to cognitive interviews and psychometric analysis. Participants were FM patients recruited from a University Hospital in Riyadh and FM support groups in Saudi Arabia. The internal consistency, and reliability using the Cronbach α and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 2-week test-retest, and criterion validity were evaluated.

Results: The results included a total of 42 participants with FM. Six minor modifications were made during the stepwise translation of the questionnaire. The Arabic version of the FIQR had good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, with a Cronbach α of 0.855 for the physical functioning domain, 0.663 for overall well-being, 0.803 for symptoms, and 0.895 for the total FIQR, and the Pearson correlation coefficient of the ICC for physical functioning was 0.769 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.541-0.884) for the overall well-being domain, 0.555 (95% CI, 0.129-0.772) for the symptoms domain, and 0.720 (95% CI, 0.370-0.868) and 0.794 (95% CI, 0.579-0.899) for the total FIQR score (p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusion: The Arabic version of the FIQR is a valid, reliable, and practical tool for assessing the impact of FM on Arabic-speaking patients and potentially contributing to the improvement of FM outcomes.

Keywords: Arabic; cross-cultural adaptation; fibromyalgia; translation; validation; validation studies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Radar chart of the FIQR items with floor and ceiling effect.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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