Development and initial validation of the Kiswahili version of the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS‐K) questionnaire

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) is one of the tools for measuring and understanding disability caused by migraine. The purpose of this study was to validate a Kiswahili translation of the MIDAS (MIDAS‐K) among patients suffering from migraines in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.MethodsA psychometric validation study of MIDAS was conducted after translation to Kiswahili. A total of 70 people with migraine were recruited by systematic random sampling and they completed the MIDAS‐K questionnaire twice, 10–14 days apart. Internal consistency, split‐half reliability, and test‐retest reliability, convergent and divergent validity were examined.Results70 patients (F:M; 59:11) with median (25th, 75th) headache days of 4.0 (2.0, 7.0) were recruited. Twenty‐eight out of 70 (40%) of the population had severe disability on MIDAS‐K. The overall test‐retest reliability of MIDAS‐K was high (ICC = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.78–0.92 p < 0.001). Factor analysis showed a two‐factor structure; the number of days missed and reduced efficiency. MIDAS‐K had a good internal consistency of 0.78, good split‐half reliability of 0.80 and acceptable test‐retest reliability for all items as well as total MIDAS‐K scores.ConclusionThe Kiswahili version of the MIDAS questionnaire (MIDAS‐K) is a valid, responsive, and reliable tool to measure migraine‐related disability among Tanzanians and other Swahili‐speaking populations. Quantification of migraine disability in the region will guide policies directed at care allotment, improvement in the provision of interventions for migraine, as well as enhancement of health‐related quality of life for patients with migraine in our region.