title: Methodological Challenges in Developing a Youth Questionnaire, Life & Health Young People, for Comparative Studies in Thailand and Sweden: About Bridging the Language Gap Between Two Non-English-Speaking Countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a Thai questionnaire ชีวิตและสุขภาพของวัยรุ่นในประเทศไทย (TYQ) to explore girls' and boys' living conditions, lifestyles, and self-reported health with special focus on sexuality, based on a Swedish questionnaire, Liv & Hälsa ung (SYQ). Challenges in developing a youth questionnaire for comparative studies are described.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multistep translation, sociocultural adaptation procedure, and a mixed-method validation test were performed using English as a common language within the research group. Three versions of SYQ were used as a pool of questions to develop the questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a field test, unclear questions were identified and minor adjustments made. Life & Health Young People in a Thai version was successfully developed. The English version was used to bridge the language gap.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This unique multistep methodology, including mixed-method validation procedure, can be used by researchers in countries where English is not the main language.
authors.affiliation: 1 Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anchalee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thitasan
authors.affiliation: 2 Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Velandia
authors.affiliation: 3 Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chularat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howharn
authors.affiliation: 4 Mälardalen University, Mälardalen Research Center, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elinor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brunnberg
mesh_terms: D003144:Communication Barriers; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013785:Thailand; D014175:Translating
keywords: cultural adaptation; lifestyle; living conditions; mixed-method validation; questionnaire translation; sexuality