title: Cultural adaptation and validation of the Persian version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) outcome measure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To translate and validate the Persian version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) outcome measure (Persian DASH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cultural translation and psychometric testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient departments of orthopaedics surgery, primary care settings, rehabilitation medicine and physical therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and seventy-one consecutive Persian-speaking patients with upper extremity disorders including subacromial impingement syndrome, rotator cuff disease, epicondylitis, ulnar nerve entrapment, bursitis, instability, carpal tunnel syndrome, tenosynovitis and adhesive capsulitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The translation and cultural adaptation of the original questionnaire was carried out in accordance with published guidelines. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire booklet including the Persian DASH, the Short Form General Health Survey (SF-36) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain. In addition, 31 randomly selected patients were asked to complete the questionnaire 48 hours later for the second time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the Persian DASH was 0.96. The Persian DASH showed excellent test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient equal to 0.82 (P<0.01). The correlation between the Persian DASH and the functional scales of the Iranian SF-36 showed desirable results indicating a good convergent validity (Pearson's coefficients ranged from -0.25 to -0.72; P<0.001). The correlation between the Persian DASH and the visual analogue scale was 0.52 (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Persian DASH is a reliable and valid instrument to measure functional status in Persian-speaking patients with upper extremity disorders in Iran. It is simple and easy to use and now can be applied in clinical settings and future outcome studies in Iran and other Persian-speaking communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and Physical Therapy Clinic, Milad Hospital, Tehran, Iran. jmousavi@razi.tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Sayed Javad
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parnianpour
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abedi
authors.forename: Ahmadreza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Askary-Ashtiani
authors.forename: Abdolkarim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.forename: Aliakbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khorsandi
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mehdian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D054521:Cultural Competency; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D034941:Upper Extremity