Native Arabic Children Speakers' Inputs on the Arabic Translation of International Questionnaires Measuring Fatigue

OBJECTIVES:

Self-report questionnaires are used frequently in research to quantify the perspective of the participant as it’s inexpensive and simple. The questionnaires are usually developed in English and then translated to other languages following standard translation process. The aim of this study is to check the understandability of the Arabic translation of PROMIS Pediatric Short Forms of Fatigue, Depressive Symptoms, Mobility, and Upper Extremity and pedsQL multidimensional fatigue.

METHODS:

We had three groups: healthy children group, in-patient children with cancer group, out-patient children with cancer group. Consent was gained then the children were presented with the questionnaires in a quiet location to avoid any distractions. Completion time was recorded and the questions and comments they had.

RESULTS:

The healthy children: 75% were female, mean age 10.75 years (SD 2.38), mean duration of completion 11.8 minutes (SD 4.42). The inpatient: 33.3% female, mean age 11.6 years (SD 1.24), mean duration of completion 17 minutes (SD 2.16). The out-patient: 75% were female, mean age 12.75 years (SD 1.78), mean duration of completion 12.5 minutes (SD 1.80). The questionnaires were mostly clear and understandable with a few exceptions, most prominent of these falls under three categories; unfamiliar expressions such as (shirt – in Arabic) in item 5 of the PROMIS SF Fatigue which was best explained to (T-Shirt). Questions in the same questionnaire that felt similar, for example; questions one, six and seven in PROMIS depressive symptoms required further explanation to clarify the difference. Finally, Things they couldn’t identify like (rings of a school binder) in item 3 of PROMIS SF upper extremity, this was resolved by showing them a binder.

CONCLUSIONS:

The understandability of the Arabic translation of the questionnaires is high as most of the questions are clear and easy to read and overall require little intervention by the investigator to clarify.