Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of Duke Activity Status Index in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Purpose To translate and cross-culturally adapt the original Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) into the Arabic language and examine its psychometric properties in Arabic speaking patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Materials and methods The DASI was translated into the Arabic language and tested on 70 Arabic patients with COPD. Patients with COPD completed also the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) on the first visit. On the second visit, the patients with COPD completed the Arabic version of DASI along with the global rating of change scale (GRC). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity were examined. Results Seventy Arabic speaking patients with COPD (56 males), mean (SD) age was 63.2 (11.1) year, completed the study. The patients reported no difficulty in understanding and completing the scale. Three items were modified and adapted to the Arabic culture. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.87, and the ICC2,1 was 0.95. The Arabic version of DASI correlated with the 6MWT (r = 0.55), the total score of SGRQ (r = -0.64) and its activity domain (r = -0.67), all p < 0.001. Conclusion The Arabic version of DASI is a simple, quick, reliable, and valid measure of functional capacity in Arabic speaking patients with COPD.Implications for practice The Arabic DASI can be used in all Arabic-speaking countries given that the scale was adapted to standard Arabic language. The Arabic DASI would yield similar scores with administrations over time in patients with unchanged condition and stable COPD. This questionnaire could be used for screening of functional capacity in COPD in primary care settings.