TRANSLATING AND ADAPTING THE OCCUPATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE INTO NORWEGIAN

Background: Occupational performance includes the individual’s experience of being engaged in self-care, productivity, and leisure. The Occupational Questionnaire (OQ) is an instrument used in the assessment of activities to... [ view full abstract ]

Background: Occupational performance includes the individual’s experience of being engaged in self-care, productivity, and leisure. The Occupational Questionnaire (OQ) is an instrument used in the assessment of activities to investigate their subjective qualities (1). It is used in occupational therapy research, education, and practice. The purpose of this study was to develop a cross-culturally adapted Norwegian version of the original OQ (2).
Method: The OQ was translated and adapted into Norwegian language and context, using the ten-steps process proposed by Wild et al (3). These steps are 1) Preparation, 2) Forward translation, 3) Reconciliation, 4) Back translation, 5) Back translation review, 6) Harmonization, 7) Cognitive debriefing, 8) Review of cognitive debriefing results and finalization, 9) Proof-reading, and 10) Final report.
Results: No major discrepancies arose during the translation process. The cognitive debriefing process included two pilot studies to investigate the feasibility and content validity of the translated version. The informants were invited to provide feedback on any ambiguous or incomprehensible expression or item, and on any difficulty faced due to questionnaire layout. The results indicated a need for revising the phrasing of the instructions. In addition, the period for registration of activities was extended to include all 24 hours. The results from the second pilot study were positive and indicated that no further changes were required.
Conclusion: A feasible and content validated Norwegian version of OQ is now available. Further research is needed to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument.
Application to Practice: Translating and validating assessments have the potential to improve occupational therapy practice and research in new areas and language contexts. In addition, the use of translated and culturally adapted instruments opens up arenas to connect research findings from different countries and to identify how outcomes are similar and different across various regions of the world.