Cross-cultural validation of the start back screening tool in a Greek low back pain sample

Keele STarT Back Screening Tool (SBST) is a popular 9-item prognostic recovery questionnaire for low back pain (LBP) with validation studies in several cultural settings, but not Greek.

The cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the SBST into Greek among LBP and LBP-associated leg pain patients.

A five-stage forward-backward translation procedure developed the Greek SBST. LBP and sciatica patients completed SBST, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Short-form Health Survey (SF-12), Sciatica Bothersomeness Index (SBI), numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) and body chart pain location sites. Measurement properties (internal consistency, content, construct and discriminatory validity) were explored. Test-retest reliability was explored by re-administering SBST after 7-10 days across patients whose symptoms remained unchanged.

124 LBP patients (75 females, 49.1 ± 14.2 years-old) 43.5% of whom had sciatica completed Greek SBST. No floor/ceiling effects were detected. Mean score distributions were statistically different across SBST groups. Moderate to strong correlations were found for SBST (total and psychosocial scores) with RMDQ, SBI, HADS and SF-12 (Spearman's ρ = 0.42-0.60). Most associations between individual SBST items and reference standards were moderately correlated (ρ = 0.32-0.49). Greek SBST yielded acceptable discriminant validity with RMDQ (AUC of 0.80). Items 1, 3, 4, and 9 yielded acceptable discrimination against reference standards. Test-retest reliability was satisfactory for total score (ICC_2,2 = 0.93) and individual items (kappa = 0.59-0.88). Cronbach's α was 0.70 (total score) and 0.76 (psychosocial subscale).

The Greek SBST was comprehensible, valid and reliable and may thus, be used across Greek cross-cultural rehabilitation research and practice.