Cross cultural adaptation, translation, validation and reliability study of Michigan hand outcomes questionnaire among Malaysian population

Abstract

The Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ), a self-reported questionnaire for patients with hand disorders, has been widely used globally. It has been cross-culturally adapted into different languages across all continents. To the best of our knowledge, MHQ has thus far not been translated into Malay language. Aims of this study were to translate the MHQ into Malay language and to evaluate its reliability and validity compared with Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire in a Malay-speaking population in Malaysia based on guidelines by Beaton et al. A pre-testing involving thirty patients with hand disorders was performed to assess whether it was comprehensible to the target population. One hundred patients with hand disorders were recruited in this study to answer the MHQ and DASH questionnaires with the intention to test its reliability and validity. The MHQ was tested twice with an interval of two weeks. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the reproducibility and internal consistency via the test-retest method and Cronbach’s alpha calculation respectively. The association between MHQ and DASH questionnaire was assessed with Spearman’s correlation calculation. In the pre-testing, twenty-six patients (86.7%) understood all the questions in the Malay version of MHQ. The test-retest analysis showed a good reliability across the duration of two weeks with the intraclass correlation coefficient of all subscales ranged from 0.925 to 0.984. Cronbach’s alpha values of the Malay version MHQ ranged from 0.82 to 0.97, indicating a good internal consistency. Spearman’s correlation factor of the MHQ compared with DASH showed a moderate to good correlation with the values ranging from 0.513 to 0.757. In conclusion, the Malay version of MHQ has been successfully translated and culturally-adapted with good reliability, internal consistency and construct validity.