Transcultural validation of the 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5) for Mexican population

Abstract

Purpose: To develop a transcultural 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5) in spanish language for the Mexican population

Methods: Based on the MAPI Institute guidelines, the linguistic validation procedures consisted in the following steps: 1) The Central project manager team clarified the conceptual definition. 2) Two qualified translators, native Spanish speakers, living in Mexico, performed the forward translation without mutual consultation. 3) The Ocular Surface Disease Interdisciplinary Investigation Committee (OSD-IIC) instituted by four cornea specialists, an ocular external disease fellow, a rheumatologist, a health care professional and a psychologist reviewed the two translations and converted it to a consensus version. 4) Backward translation was performed by two qualified translators, native English speakers, without mutual consultation. 5) The Committee reviewed the reliability of the backward translation, comparing it with the original McMonnies questionnaire. 6) Cognitive interviews to a small sample of subjects were performed, during individual in depth, face-to-face structured interviews. During each interview, the Consultant asked the respondent to complete the questionnaire (self-administered). After completion, the Consultant asked whether the subject encountered any difficulty (ease of completion, comprehension problems) while responding, and asked for alternative wording for problematic items. The Consultant proposed alternatives. The suggested amendments and the report were sent to the Central Project Team. 7) The Central Project Team reviewed the report and provides feedback on the results of the test.

Results: During the forward translation step analysis, the OSD-IIC decided to change 2 adjetives for better understanding, this adjective was included in items 1a, 2a, and 3a. The backward translation was almost identical to the original questionnaire in English. In the cognitive interviews, 28 respondents did not have any difficulty while responding the 5-items of DEQ-5 and the consultants did not suggested amendments of words or phrases.

Conclusions: This study was able to provide an appropriate translation of the DEQ-5 questionnaire.

Keywords: 486 cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye • 479 cornea: clinical science • 459 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: biostatistics/epidemiology methodology