Evaluating Translations of Health Status Questionnaires: Methods From the IQOLA Project

Abstract

There is growing demand for translations of health status questionnaires for use in multinational drug therapy studies and for population comparisons of health statistics. The International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) Project is conducting a three-stage research program to determine the feasibility of translating the SF-36 Health Survey, widely used in English-speaking countries, into other languages. In stage 1, the conceptual equivalence and acceptability of translated questionnaires are evaluated and improved using qualitative and quantitative methods. In stage 2, assumptions underlying the construction and scoring of questionnaire scales are tested empirically. In stage 3, the equivalence of the interpretation of questionnaire scores across countries is tested using methods that closely approximate their intended use, and empirical results are compared. Data analyses from Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as other research cited, support the feasibility of cross-cultural health measurement using the SF-36.

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“…The PCS includes the dimensions of PF, RP, BP, GH, VT, and SF. The MCS is composed of the RE and MH, along with elements of the GH, VT, and SF scales [17]. The surveys were completed independently during dialysis by those patients capable of doing so.…”

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“…Translations of the SF-36 developed by the International Quality of Life Assessment Project were administered in countries outside of the United States. 17 Additional generic and specific measures were translated using the International Quality of Life Assessment Project methods.…”

Evaluación del estado de salud con la Encuesta SF-36: resultados preliminares en México

“…7,8 Inicialmente, este instrumento se usó en el estudio de resultados médicos (Medical Outcomes Study, MOS), donde se demostró su validez y confiabilidad; asimismo, se determinaron las normas de comparación para la población de Estados Unidos de América (EUA). [9][10][11][12] Posteriormente, el proyecto IQOLA incluyó 14 paí-ses industrializados, y en la actualidad hay más de 40 naciones participantes.…”

“…Esta metodología se describe con detalle en otras publicaciones. 7,8 La SF-36 es un instrumento autoaplicado, contiene 36 preguntas y toma un promedio de 8 a 12 minutos para completarse. Por cada escala, las respuestas a cada pregunta se codifican y recodifican (10 preguntas), y los resultados se trasladan a una escala de 0 (peor salud) a 100 (mejor salud).…”

“…Las escalas de salud se obtuvieron utilizando los algoritmos propuestos por Ware y colaboradores. [8][9][10][11][12] El paquete estadísti-co Multitrait Analysis Program (MAP-R) 16 se utilizó para la comprobación psicométrica de la encuesta y para determinar la validez de las medidas estadísticas de la adaptación lingüística.…”