Reliability of the DSS-Swe Questionnaire.

Area of Science:

• Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
• Gastroenterology
• Clinical Assessment Tools

Background:

• Postbariatric hypoglycemia (PBH) is a recognized complication following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).
• A validated symptom rating scale for PBH is lacking for Swedish populations.
• This study addresses the need for a reliable assessment tool in Sweden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To translate the Dumping Severity Scale (DSS) into Swedish (DSS-Swe).
• To evaluate the reliability of the translated DSS-Swe questionnaire.
• To provide a tool for assessing PBH and dumping symptoms in Swedish patients.

Main Methods:

• The original DSS questionnaire underwent forward and backward translation.
• The DSS-Swe included 8 items for early dumping and 6 for hypoglycemia, using a 4-point Likert scale.
• Reliability was assessed using internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest methods.

Main Results:

• The DSS-Swe demonstrated good internal consistency for dumping symptoms (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82).
• Very good test-retest reliability was found for dumping symptoms (ICC = 0.91).
• Good reliability was also observed for hypoglycemia items (Cronbach's alpha = 0.76, ICC = 0.89).

Conclusions:

• The Swedish translated DSS-Swe questionnaire exhibits good reliability.
• The DSS-Swe is suitable for assessing both dumping and hypoglycemia symptoms in Swedish populations.
• This validated tool can improve the clinical management of postbariatric complications.