02141nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001653002800042653001900070653002000089653001800109653001300127653002100140653001100161653001200172100001300184700001700197245019800214300001300412490000700425520146500432022001401897       2003                            d10aSickness Impact Profile10aQuestionnaires10aQuality of Life10aPsychometrics10aLanguage10aInternationality10aHumans10aCulture1 aBowden A1 aFox-Rushby J00aA systematic and critical review of the process of translation and adaptation of generic health-related quality of life measures in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South America.  a1289-3060 v573 a<p>In recent years there has been a worldwide increase in demand for subjective measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL). Researchers have the choice of whether to develop a new measure or whether to adapt an existing measure in another language. This review evaluates the processes used in translating and adapting nine generic HRQL instruments (15D, Dartmouth COOP/WONCA Charts, EuroQol, HUI, NHP, SIP, SF-36, QWB, WHOQOL) for use in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South America. The review adopts a universalist model of equivalence, outlined by Herdman, Fox-Rushby, and Badia (Qual. Life Res. 7 (1998) 323), to judge the 58 papers reviewed. Research spans 23 countries and is dominated by research in the East Asia and Pacific region and the SF-36. Results are reported for conceptual, item, semantic, operational, measurement and functional equivalence. It is argued that currently there is a misguided pre-occupation with scales rather than the concepts being scaled and too much reliance on unsubstantiated claims of conceptual equivalence. However, researchers using the WHOQOL approach are more likely to establish reliable conclusions concerning the equivalence of their instrument across countries. It is a key conclusion of this review that research practice and translation guidelines still need to change to facilitate more effective and less biased assessments of equivalence of HRQL measures across countries.</p>
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