title: Validity and reliability of the Malay-language translation of the Rome III Diagnostic Questionnaire for irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Malay language is widely used within the "Malay Archipelago" particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Brunei with a combined population of 300 million. There are no reliable data on the epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the Malay speaking population because the Rome Diagnostic Questionnaire has not been translated and validated for the Malay language. The current study aimed to translate and validate the Rome III IBS Diagnostic Questionnaire, Red Flag and Psychosocial Alarm questionnaires into the Malay language.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forward and backward translations of the source questionnaires were performed according to guidelines from the Rome foundation. The Malay translated questionnaires were assessed for clarity in a group of 10 volunteers. Psychometric properties of the questionnaires were assessed in 31 subjects with IBS based on Rome II symptom criteria and 31 healthy controls prospectively. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation (ICC) over a 14-day interval. The sensitivity and specificity of the IBS diagnostic module for distinguishing IBS patients from controls was tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ICC for the IBS module was 0.996 (95% confidence interval 0.991-0.998) with good discriminant validity (P < 0.001). ICCs for the Red Flags and Psychosocial Alarm questionnaires were 0.962 and 0.994 respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the translated Rome III IBS module against Rome II criteria was 80.65%, 100% and 100%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The translated Malay language Rome III IBS Diagnostic Questionnaire and the questionnaires for Red Flags and Psychosocial Alarm symptoms are valid and reliable.
authors: Department of Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. yylee@kck.usm.my
authors: Yeong Yeh
authors: YY
authors: Lee
authors: Anuar
authors: A
authors: Waid
authors: Huck Joo
authors: HJ
authors: Tan
authors: Seng Boon Andrew
authors: SB
authors: Chua
authors: William E
authors: WE
authors: Whitehead
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007802:Language; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating