Objectives Our objective was to undertake linguistic validation and cultural adaptation of the Japanese version of the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (JP-ADDQoL) and to evaluate its psychometric properties when completed by Japanese patients with diabetes. Methods We followed the standard linguistic validation procedure and subsequently evaluated the reliability (internal consistency) and construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses) of the translated version by surveying 239 Japanese patients with diabetes. Results We translated 19 items for the JP-ADDQoL. The internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's alpha = 0.933). In the exploratory factor analysis, four factors were extracted, and most of the items in all four factors had high loadings. Forced one-factor analysis revealed all factor loadings other than those for sex life to be [0.40 (sex life: 0.398). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable fit for the JP-ADDQoL. Conclusions The JP-ADDQoL showed adequate reliability and acceptable validity. Examining not only the impact of diabetes on a specific domain of life but also its importance for each patient leads to more accurate and individualized measurement of the patient's QoL.

Recently, Japanese medical students are expected to acquire a high degree of English proficiency with the tacit understanding that it will feature in their future profession through interactions with non-Japanese patients and/or engagement with medical research. However, to the best of our knowledge, the motivation of Japanese medical students to learn English as a second language (L2) has not been studied. Using quantitative and qualitative questionnaires, we investigated the L2 learning motivation of second-year Japanese medical students and the degree to which the students have international posture, i.e., their awareness and openness to internationalization. The results revealed that the students were primarily instrumentally and vocationally motivated; in other words, their chief motivation for L2 learning came from an understanding of the usefulness of L2 proficiency for their future profession. The results also showed that the students had strong international posture, as evidenced by a deep desire to communicate internationally and an understanding of the role of English as a tool for global communication. The findings suggest that, to sustain or improve L2 learning motivation, educators should employ study materials that are pertinent to students’ future needs and professions.

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