Barriers to Diabetes Adherence: Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Instrument Into Arabic Context

Abstract

Objectives: Barriers to Diabetes Adherence (BDA) instrument is a measure developed in English to assess barriers to adherence in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). The main objectives of the present study were to translate and culturally adapt the BDA tool into Arabic for the assessment of barriers to adherence in adolescents with T1DM in Arabic-speaking populations.

Methods: The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research guidelines for the translation and cultural adaptation of patient-reported outcome measures were used for the process. Permission to use the instrument was obtained from the developers. This was followed by 2 forward translations of the tool into Arabic. The 2 Arabic versions were combined into a reconciled Arabic version that was then back-translated into English. This was then tested against the original tool. The resultant Arabic version underwent a cognitive debriefing process to assess its comprehension and appropriateness among potential users, and this resulted in further refinements, leading to the final Arabic version of the tool.

Results: The translation and cognitive debriefing processes revealed issues related to the cultural or conceptual equivalence of the tool that were addressed and resolved by rewording, restructuring, or addition or elimination of words or phrases that in certain circumstances necessitated communications with the developers for further clarifications of the intended meaning of relevant items. This process generated an easy, comprehensive, clear, and culturally acceptable tool as proven by the cognitive debriefing and clinical review processes.

Conclusion: A culturally acceptable Arabic translation of the BDA tool was developed to be used in adolescent Arabic population with T1DM.

Keywords: Arabic; adaptation; adherence; adolescents; diabetes; translation.