Development of a Modern Standard Arabic version of the pain disability index: translation, cross-cultural adaptation, psychometric, and validity data

TL;DR

Researchers developed and validated an Arabic version of a tool to measure pain-related disability, ensuring it works well for Arabic-speaking patients.

Contribution

The study introduces a validated Modern Standard Arabic version of the Pain Disability Index (PDI) for use in Arabic-speaking populations.

Findings

The MSA PDI showed a unidimensional structure and excellent internal consistency (α = 0.91).

Construct validity was supported through correlations with pain severity, depression, and anxiety.

Over half of participants met thresholds for moderate to severe pain or mental health issues.

Abstract

The assessment and treatment of chronic pain rely heavily on patient self-report, making linguistically and culturally appropriate tools essential. However, no well-validated Arabic language measures of pain-related disability are widely available. The objective of this study was to create and validate a Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) version of the Pain Disability Index (PDI). This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a pain management clinic in a tertiary care center in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The MSA PDI was developed using a forward–backward translation protocol by a team of native Arabic speakers from diverse backgrounds, reviewed by a professional translation company, and pilot-tested with a small sample of patients. Participants completed the MSA PDI along with measures of depression (PHQ-8), anxiety (GAD-7), and current pain severity. A total of 423 Arabic-speaking adults participated (54.84%) women, mean age of 43.71 ± 13.53, most of whom were UAE nationals (88.41%). The mean PDI score was 31.29 (±17.64), indicating moderate pain-related disability. Over half of the sample met screening thresholds for moderate to severe pain (50.83%), depression (57.21%), or anxiety (38.77%). Factor analysis of the MSA PDI supported a unidimensional structure. The MSA PDI also demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .91). Construct validity was supported through a tiered multi-method approach (correlation, regression, and structural equation modeling), which showed moderate positive associations between pain severity, depression, anxiety, and pain-related disability. Overall, the MSA PDI showed strong psychometric properties and provides a reliable, standardized tool for assessing pain-related disability in Arabic-speaking populations.

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