Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Arabic Version of the Prolapse Quality of Life Questionnaire in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background: Given the extensive translation of the Prolapse Quality of Life Questionnaire (P-QoL) into many languages, it is imperative to develop an Arabic version to facilitate the study of pelvic organ health within the Arabian culture. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the Arabic version of the P-QoL. Study Design: This study involved cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing. Methods: A total of 90 participants were included in the study. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two phases; during phase I, the P-QoL was translated and adapted from English into Arabic. The Arabic version was psychometrically validated during phase II using the test–retest reliability and internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, convergent construct (CC) validity among the four study tools using Spearman’s coefficient (r), and discriminative validity using Mann–Whitney test to find the differences between the means of the two samples. Results: A satisfactory level of semantic, conceptual, idiomatic, and content comparability was reached in the cross-cultural adaptation of the Arabic version of the P-QoL. The internal consistency was high in terms of psychometric validation, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.971 for the P-QoL. The test–retest results showed high reliability, with the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the P-QoL determined as 0.987. The convergent construct validity was highly acceptable (moderately strong), reflecting a positive correlation between the Arabic version of the P-QoL and the Australian Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Questionnaire (APFD) (r = 0.68; p < 0.001). Similarly, a significant convergent validity of the Arabic version of the P-QoL and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (r = 0.47; p < 0.001) was observed, as well as a correlation between the APFD and the VAS (r = 0.46; p < 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between the 12-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-12), the P-QoL, the APFD, and the VAS. Conclusion: Based on the significant correlation found between the Arabic APFD and the VAS, the results reveal good reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity. It is recommended that Arabic-speaking females with pelvic organ prolapse use the Arabic version of the P-QoL. More research is needed to assess the responsiveness of the P-QoL.