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[Interpretation of questionnaires. An translation method problem]
1Institutt for samfundsmedisinske fag, Universitetet i Oslo, Saebøvik.
Nordisk Medicin
|January 23, 1999
Summary
Translating questionnaires for new cultures requires validation to ensure accuracy. This review offers guidelines for reliable cross-cultural questionnaire translation and validation.
Area of Science:
- Health research methodology
- Cross-cultural adaptation
- Psychometrics
Context:
- International health research necessitates culturally adapted instruments.
- Existing guidelines for questionnaire translation and validation are insufficient.
- The EU/BIOMED-Europep program highlights the need for validated patient-reported outcome measures.
Purpose:
- To review the methodological issues in translating and validating questionnaires for diverse cultural contexts.
- To propose evidence-based guidelines for accurate cross-cultural questionnaire adaptation.
- To inform the development of reliable instruments for international health research.
Summary:
- This article reviews the challenges and best practices for translating and validating research questionnaires across different cultural backgrounds.
- It emphasizes the importance of methodological rigor in ensuring translation precision and contextual relevance.
- Recommendations are provided based on international literature and practical experience.
Impact:
- Enhances the reliability and validity of research findings in multinational studies.
- Facilitates the development of standardized patient-reported outcome measures for global health research.
- Improves the quality of evidence used in international health policy and practice.
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