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Validation of the Arabic Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ-A): A National Study Among Head and Neck Cancers
Mohammad Minwer Alnaeem1, Alaa Abuattallah2, Sameera Khaled Darwish1
1Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
Background:
Xerostomia is a common acute and late adverse effect of radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).
Aims/Objectives:
This study aimed to validate the Arabic version of the eight-item self-reported Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ) and to evaluate its psychometric properties among patients undergoing radiotherapy for HNC.
Material And Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Radiotherapy Unit. The XQ was translated into Arabic following established international guidelines. A total of 187 patients completed the questionnaire. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's α coefficient and McDonald's omega. Convergent-related validity was examined.
Results:
The results confirmed a unidimensional structure of XQ with CFA (χ2(28) = 52.1, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.996; TLI = 0.984; RMSEA = 0.068; SRMR = 0.013). All items loaded significantly onto a single factor. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency with Cronbach's α = 0.952 (range 0.93-0.96) and McDonald's ω = 0.948. Test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.93). The correlations with the SDQ and MNA-SF supported convergent-related validity.
Conclusions And Significance:
The Arabic XQ shows excellent psychometric performance and is suitable for assessing xerostomia severity in Arabic-speaking patients with HNC undergoing radiotherapy.