Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the "impact on participation and autonomy" (IPA) questionnaire in Indian population with spinal cord injury

Study design: An observational study design.

Objective: To translate the Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (IPAQ) into the Hindi language and to assess the test-retest reliability of the supplemental data in the Indian spinal cord injury (SCI) population.

Setting: Delhi.

Methods: The English version of the IPAQ was translated into the Hindi language following the standardized Beaton guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of self-reports. Reliability and validity were assessed in 80 subjects with SCI. Content validity was estimated using quantitative and qualitative methods. Internal consistency reliability was assessed in 20 participants. For test-retest reliability, 30 participants completed the IPAQ-H twice, one week apart. Subjects (N = 80) who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study after obtaining their informed consent.

Results: The IPAQ was translated into the Hindi language using the six-step Beaton guidelines, which were approved by the translators, expert panel members, subjects with SCI, and developers of the original English version of the IPAQ. Content validity estimation showed that all the items in the questionnaire were retained. The IPAQ-H has excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha -0.942) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC single measure-0.568 and mean measure-0.929.

Conclusion: The supplemental data is a methodological step in translating the IPAQ into Hindi for a Hindi-literate population with high test-retest reliability. Healthcare practitioners can use the supplemental data as a valuable tool to gain clinical insights into the efficacy of IPA in the Indian Hindi-speaking population with SCI.