Christiansen DH1,2, McCray G3, Winding TN1, Andersen JH1, Nielsen KJ1, Karstens S4, Hill JC3
1Regional Hospital West Jutland, Department Occupational Medicine, Herning, Denmark, 2Health, Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark, 3Keele University, Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Staffordshire, United Kingdom, 4Trier University of Applied Science, Department of Computer Science; Therapeutic Sciences, Trier, Germany
Background: The Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) has been developed to measure musculoskeletal health status across different musculoskeletal conditions and clinical pathways. However, the MSK-HQ needs to be further validated across settings and different languages.
Purpose: Our objective of the current study was to evaluate and compare measurement properties of the MSK-HQ across Danish (DK) and English (UK) samples of musculoskeletal patientswith pain consulting primary care physiotherapy services.
Methods: The MSK-HQ was translated into Danish according to international guidelines. Cross‐cultural validity was assed by differential item functioning (DIF) using DK (n=153) and UK (n=166) patient samples. Test-retest reliability, measurement error, responsiveness and minimal important changes (MIC) were also evaluated and compared between samples.
Results: The Danish version demonstrated acceptable face and construct validity. Three items exhibited DIF on language. Intraclass Correlations Coefficients for test and retest scores were 0.86 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.91) for the DK sample and 0.77 (0.49 to 0.90) for the UK sample. The systematic measurement error was 1.6 points in the DK sample and 4.0 points in the UK sample, with random measurement error being 8.6 and 9.9 points, respectively. The AUCs of the ROC curves of the change scores at 3 months exceeded 0.70 for both samples. Absolute and relative MIC estimates were 10 points and 26% for the DK sample, and 6 points and 28% for the UK sample
Conclusion(s): The measurement properties of MSK-HQ were generally acceptable across countries. However, researchers and clinicians should be aware that some discrepancy exits between countries and take the observed measurement error into account when evaluating change in scores over time.
Implications: In order to develop effective preventive interventions and treatments, and to evaluate their effect, reliable measurement tools are essential. The MSK-HQ questionnaire appears to be feasible for use in clinical practice and research across settings and different languages.
Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, Outcomes, measurement properties
Funding acknowledgements: The study supported by the Practice Research Foundation of Danish Physiotherapists and Arthritis Research UK (Ref. 20518).
Purpose: Our objective of the current study was to evaluate and compare measurement properties of the MSK-HQ across Danish (DK) and English (UK) samples of musculoskeletal patientswith pain consulting primary care physiotherapy services.
Methods: The MSK-HQ was translated into Danish according to international guidelines. Cross‐cultural validity was assed by differential item functioning (DIF) using DK (n=153) and UK (n=166) patient samples. Test-retest reliability, measurement error, responsiveness and minimal important changes (MIC) were also evaluated and compared between samples.
Results: The Danish version demonstrated acceptable face and construct validity. Three items exhibited DIF on language. Intraclass Correlations Coefficients for test and retest scores were 0.86 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.91) for the DK sample and 0.77 (0.49 to 0.90) for the UK sample. The systematic measurement error was 1.6 points in the DK sample and 4.0 points in the UK sample, with random measurement error being 8.6 and 9.9 points, respectively. The AUCs of the ROC curves of the change scores at 3 months exceeded 0.70 for both samples. Absolute and relative MIC estimates were 10 points and 26% for the DK sample, and 6 points and 28% for the UK sample
Conclusion(s): The measurement properties of MSK-HQ were generally acceptable across countries. However, researchers and clinicians should be aware that some discrepancy exits between countries and take the observed measurement error into account when evaluating change in scores over time.
Implications: In order to develop effective preventive interventions and treatments, and to evaluate their effect, reliable measurement tools are essential. The MSK-HQ questionnaire appears to be feasible for use in clinical practice and research across settings and different languages.
Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, Outcomes, measurement properties
Funding acknowledgements: The study supported by the Practice Research Foundation of Danish Physiotherapists and Arthritis Research UK (Ref. 20518).
Topic: Outcome measurement; Musculoskeletal; Primary health care
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Central Region Denmark
Ethics committee: The Central Denmark Region Committees on. Health Research Ethics
Reason not required: As treatment was not affected by participation in the study, under Danish law, this study needed no ethics approval (Act on Research Ethics Review of Health Research Projects, October 2013)
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
