Adaptação transcultural do Quality of Life Index Spinal Cord Injury : version III

Abstract

From the need for a specific instrument to evaluate the quality of life of people with spinal cord injury in the Brazilian language, this study was conducted and had the following objectives: to translate and culturally adapt to Portuguese Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index Spinal Cord Injury Version – III and characterise the sample in terms of sociodemographic and clinical aspects. Methodological procedure, in which the authorization from the author was obtained. First, there was a stage of translating with the participation of six translators. Then, there was a cultural adaptation taking into account the opinion of five judges. The pretest sample consisted on 30 patients with spinal cord injury, which were selected from the database of the Center for Research and Consulting in Neurological Nursing, and which also met the criteria for inclusion. Data was collected from August to November of 2013 by the final version in Portuguese called Índice de Lesão Medular e Qualidade De Vida – Versão III and a questionnaire with social, demographic and clinical data. The study was approved by the Ethics in Research Committee, under the number: 344.927/2013. An index with 74 items was obtained, it was divided into two parts (satisfaction / importance ), on which some adjustments were made for a better understanding. These adjustments resulted in: the addition of four new pronouns or articles to change the genre; nine exclusions of words or articles; two changes from a word to a term; four additional expressions for the purpose of illustrating; four adjusts in expressions; nine changes of only one word. Therefore, there was 24 modifications. It was observed that, in the criteria of semantics equivalence of the index, ortography was rated as “a very appropriate translation” by a number greater than 87 % ; vocabulary and grammar, by 86%; idiomatic equivalence was rated by a number higher than 74%; experimental equivalence, higher than 78% and conceptual equivalence, by a number greater than 70%. Statistical analysis on semantic, idiomatic, experimental and conceptual evaluations by kappa showed a slight to moderate conformity between the pairs of analysis, adopting (p ≤ 0.05). It was concluded that this instrument, after being transculturally adapted, has proved to be appropriate under the semantic , idiomatic, experimental and conceptual views, as well as easy to use to evaluate the quality of life of people with spinal cord injury. The study enabled the expansion of scientific knowledge of nursing, especially for professionals in the neurological field, by making it possible to plan, intercede and evaluate the caring for the special needs of these patients. It is now possible to resort to a technology that takes into account a great number of subjective relationships that are not, generally, observed or disclosed.