Cross cultural adaptation and validation of an Arabic version of selected PROMIS measures for use in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Translation and Cultural Adaptation into Arabic of Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System® Item Banks: Cognitive Function Abilities and Physical Function for Samples with Mobility Aid Users

PURPOSE

This study aimed to provide Arabic-speaking individuals with tools to assess their cognitive abilities and physical function and to contribute to a better understanding of these capabilities in this population. Thus, the specific objective was to translate into Arabic and culturally adapt two Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item banks: the Adult Cognitive Function Abilities and the Physical Function for Samples with Mobility Aid Users item banks. This study employed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) multilingual translation methodology to ensure cultural and linguistic relevance. The translation process included forward and back translations, expert reviews, and finalisation by a language coordinator. Cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with 30 native healthy Arabic speakers to assess the clarity and comprehension of translated items. Most items were well understood, but two items related to cognitive ability and four related to physical functions required revision to address participant confusion. The translations were refined based on the participants' feedback and expert recommendations. This study followed a rigorous translation process and included cognitive debriefing interviews to ensure linguistic and cultural equivalence. The availability of these tools in Arabic enhances cross-cultural research and practice in healthcare and contributes to a global understanding of cognitive and physical functions.

The use of PROMIS measures in clinical studies in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a systematic review

PURPOSE

Although the use of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures is widely advocated, little is known on their use in patients with inflammatory arthritis. We systematically describe the use and outcomes of PROMIS measures in clinical studies involving people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Through a systematic search of nine electronic databases, clinical studies including patients with RA or axSpA and reporting the use of PROMIS measure were selected. Study characteristics, details of PROMIS measures and their outcomes, if available, were extracted.

RESULTS

In total, 29 studies described in 40 articles met the inclusion criteria, of which 25 studies included RA patients, three studies included axSpA patients and one study included both RA and axSpA patients. The use of two general PROMIS measures (PROMIS Global Health, PROMIS-29) and 13 different domain-specific PROMIS measures was reported, of which the PROMIS Pain Interference (n = 17), Physical Function (n = 14), Fatigue (n = 13), and Depression (n = 12) measures were most frequently used. Twenty-one studies reported their results in terms of T-scores. Most T-scores were worse than the general population mean, indicating impairments of health status. Eight studies did not report actual data but rather measurement properties of the PROMIS measures.

CONCLUSION

There was considerable variety regarding the different PROMIS measures used, with the PROMIS Pain interference, Physical function, Fatigue, and Depression measures being the most frequently used. In order to facilitate the comparisons across studies, more standardization of the selection of PROMIS measures is needed.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Persian version of selected PROMIS measures for use in lumbar canal stenosis patients

BACKGROUND

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed a new measurement system called the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) which can be used for multiple health conditions. The 29-item short form (PROMIS-29) with seven domains was more often used by clinical researchers to measure the physical function, mood and sleeping status of patients with low back pain (LBP). Translation of the PROMIS into multiple languages and adaptation of its application in different cultural diversities can help to further standardize clinical research studies and make them comparable to each other. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the PROMIS-29 into Persian (P-PROMIS-29) and evaluate the construct validity and reliability of the translated questionnaire among patients with lumbar canal stenosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The translation was conducted by using the multilingual translation methodology guideline. Construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability at a two-week interval for the P-PROMIS-29 were calculated. Construct validity was assessed by calculating correlations between the P-PROMIS-29 with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Roland-Morris results.

RESULTS

The study sample included 70 participants with lumbar canal stenosis. Internal consistencies were moderate to good with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.2 to 0.94. The test-retest reliability evaluation was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.885 to 0.986. Construct validity of different domains of P-PROMIS-29 were moderate to good, with Pearson's correlation coefficient results ranging from 0.223 to 0.749.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that P-PROMIS-29 is a valid and reliable measurement tool for evaluation of patients with lumbar canal stenosis.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures in Arabic speaking countries: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly recognized as an indicator of healthcare quality and safety. Over the past decades, there has been a growing interest in using PROMs in Arabic-speaking populations. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the quality of their cross-cultural adaptation (CCA) and measurement properties.

OBJECTIVES

To identify PROMs that have been developed, validated or cross-culturally adapted to Arabic and evaluate methodological qualities of CCA and measurement properties.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, IPA, and ISI Web of Science were searched using search terms 'PROMs', 'Arabic countries', 'CCA', and 'psychometric properties'. Measurement properties were evaluated using COSMIN quality criteria and CCA quality was assessed using the Oliveria rating method.

RESULTS

This review included 260 studies with 317 PROMs, focusing on psychometric testing (83.8%), CCA (75.8%), utilizing PROMs as outcome measures (13.4%), and developing PROMs (2.3%). Out of the 201 cross-culturally adapted PROMs, forward translation was the most frequently reported component of CCA (n = 178), followed by back translation (n = 174). Out of the 235 PROMs that reported measurement properties, internal consistency was the most frequently reported measurement property (n = 214), followed by reliability (n = 160) and hypotheses testing (n = 143). Other measurement properties were less reported, including responsiveness (n = 36), criterion validity (n = 22), measurement error (n = 12), and cross-cultural validity (n = 10). The strongest measurement property was hypotheses testing (n = 143), followed by reliability (n = 132).

CONCLUSION

There are several caveats regarding the quality of CCA and measurement properties of PROMs included in this review. Only 1 out of 317 Arabic PROMs met CCA and psychometric optimal quality criteria. Therefore, there is a need to improve the methodological quality of CCA and measurement properties of PROMs. This review provides valuable information for researchers and clinicians when choosing PROMs for practice and research. There were only 5 treatment-specific PROMs, indicating the necessity for more research focusing on development and CCA of such measures.

Mapping the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) to EQ-5D-5L

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) is gaining popularity as healthcare system funders increasingly seek value-based care. However, it is limited in its ability to estimate utilities and thus inform economic evaluations. This study develops the first mapping algorithm for estimating EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) utilities from PROMIS-29 responses using a large dataset and through extensive comparisons between econometric models.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted to collect responses to PROMIS-29 and EQ-5D-5L from the general Australian population (N = 3013). Direct and indirect mapping methods were explored, including linear regression, Tobit, generalised linear model, censored regression model, beta regression (Betamix), the adjusted limited dependent variable mixture model (ALDVMM) and generalised ordered logit. The most robust model was selected by assessing the performance based on average ten-fold cross-validation geometric mean absolute error and geometric mean squared error, the predicted mean, maximum and minimum utilities, as well as the fitting across the entire distribution.

RESULTS

The direct approach using ALDVMM was considered the preferred model based on lowest geometric mean absolute error and geometric mean squared error in cross-validation (0.0882, 0.0299) and its superiority in predicting the actual observed mean, full health states and lower utility extremes. The robustness and precision in prediction across the entire distribution of utilities with ALDVMM suggest it is an accurate and valid mapping algorithm. Moreover, the suggested mapping algorithm outperformed previously published algorithms using Australian data, indicating the validity of this model for economic evaluations.

CONCLUSIONS

This study developed a robust algorithm to estimate EQ-5D-5L utilities from PROMIS-29. Consistent with the recent literature, the ALDVMM outperformed all other econometric models considered in this study, suggesting that the mixture models have relatively better performance and are an ideal candidate model for mapping.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System: Translation and Linguistic Validation of Six Profile Domains for Korean Adults

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to translate and linguistically validate a Korean language version of the PROMIS (K-PROMIS) for the six profile adult domains: Fatigue, Pain Intensity, Pain Interference, Physical Function, Sleep Disturbance, and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities.

METHODS

A total of 268 items were translated into Korean according to the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy multilingual translation methodology. Participants first completed approximately 27 to 35 items and were then interviewed to evaluate the conceptual equivalence of the translation to the original English language source. The K-PROMIS items that met the a priori threshold of ≥ 20% of respondents with comprehension difficulties in the cognitive interview.

RESULTS

54 of the 268 items were identified as difficult items to comprehend for at least 20% of respondents in Round 1. The most frequently identified K-PROMIS domain on difficult items to comprehend was the Physical function (24.5%). Most items with linguistic difficulties were Fatigue and Physical function. Cultural difficulties were only included the Physical function and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities domains. 25 of 54 items were slightly revised, and then these revised items were tested with additional six participants in Round 2, and most participants had no problems to understand modified items.

CONCLUSION

The six profile adult domains of K-PROMIS have been linguistically validated. Further psychometric validation of the K-PROMIS items will provide additional information of meaningful outcomes for chronic disease and clinical setting.

Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Libya: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 were announced in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread in most countries. After one year of restrictive measures applied by governments, it is unclear how this prolonged social distancing has affected the mental health of individuals in Libya. Therefore, the present study aims to assess the levels of perceived stress, depression, sleep disturbance, and self-efficacy associated with the pandemic in Libya and their association with the demographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 10 and November 10, 2020 in 21 cities in Libya using an online survey. The survey collected socio-demographic variables and other important psychological variables using valid scales: namely, the Perceived Stress scale, the PROMIS Depression scale, the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance scale, and self-efficacy 6-item scale. Additionally, data were collected regarding eating and smoking habits, housing and living situations, and the preparedness of the public to manage the upcoming waves of the pandemic. Results: The questionnaire was accessed 746 times, and a total of 683 completed questionnaires were analyzed (response rate of 91.6%), with ages ranging from 18 to 94 years (Mean ± SD = 27.09 ± 10.57). Among the respondents, 58.4% were females and 77% were from the age group 18-29 years. The perceived stress, depression, and sleep disturbance symptoms were high in overall population. For stress, 52.7 and 17.1% of respondents reported moderate and high stress, and for sleep quality 28.8 and 8.1% reported moderate and high sleep disturbance, respectively. For depression, the overall median score was 20 (out of 40). The perceived stress, depression, and sleep disturbance were more prevalent among females and the younger age groups (18-29 years old). The overall self-efficacy median total score was 6.67 (out of 10), with a significantly higher median total score for males than females (7 vs. 6.33, p = 0.001). About 14.5% of the respondents were regular cigarette smokers, and most of them (79.8%) described their smoking habits during the previous month as more than typical. In addition, the reported eating habits of almost half of the respondents (43%) had changed, with about one-third (29.6%) reporting that their eating habits had become less healthy during the pandemic. Conclusion: The findings of this research suggest increased levels of stress, depression, and sleep disturbances as well as COVID-19-related fear during the pandemic, especially among young females. This alarming finding urgently calls for safe and low-barrier interventions to help mentally burdened individuals. This study makes a significant contribution in providing essential data on the psychological and social impacts on the Libyan population due to the COVID-19 pandemic.