https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1973-6870
Abstract
Background/Aim
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex and debilitating condition that significantly impacts patients’ daily lives. The continuous assessment of the impact and severity of FM is essential to manage the condition effectively. Assessment tools in Arabic are lacking for use in Saudi Arabia, which might lead to ineffective management. This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt and validate the Arabic version of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR).
Methods
Following translation guidelines, 2 Arabic translators and 2 English-certified translators performed forward and backward translations of the FIQR. In a cross-sectional study design, the questionnaire was piloted with 5 participants and then subjected to cognitive interviews and psychometric analysis. Participants were FM patients recruited from a University Hospital in Riyadh and FM support groups in Saudi Arabia. The internal consistency, and reliability using the Cronbach α and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 2-week test–retest, and criterion validity were evaluated.
Results
The results included a total of 42 participants with FM. Six minor modifications were made during the stepwise translation of the questionnaire. The Arabic version of the FIQR had good internal consistency and test–retest reliability, with a Cronbach α of 0.855 for the physical functioning domain, 0.663 for overall well-being, 0.803 for symptoms, and 0.895 for the total FIQR, and the Pearson correlation coefficient of the ICC for physical functioning was 0.769 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.541–0.884) for the overall well-being domain, 0.555 (95% CI, 0.129–0.772) for the symptoms domain, and 0.720 (95% CI, 0.370–0.868) and 0.794 (95% CI, 0.579–0.899) for the total FIQR score (p < 0.001), respectively.
Conclusion
The Arabic version of the FIQR is a valid, reliable, and practical tool for assessing the impact of FM on Arabic-speaking patients and potentially contributing to the improvement of FM outcomes.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Hadeel M. Alnemari, Aljoharah K. Alqub, Ebtisam M. Alqahtani, and Reema A. Almalke for their valuable contribution to data entry. The project was funded by Researchers Supporting Project (RSP2024R452), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Author Contributions
SSA and HMA contributed equally to this work and are considered first co-authors. All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.