Arabic translation, cultural adaptation, and pilot-testing of multimorbidity self-management self-efficacy scales

Objective This study aimed to translate to Arabic language and culturally adapt the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Diseases Scale (SEMCD) and The Perceived Medical Condition Self-Management Scale (PMCSMS). Design The translation of the two scales was conducted according to the framework by Beaton et al. Then, these scales were tested in a cross-sectional correlational study with 85 Arabic-speaking participants with multimorbidities in Qatar. Psychometric tests to assess the reliability and validity of the translated scales were done. Results The internal consistency reliability (alpha) for the Arabic version of both PMCSMS and SEMCD scales was 0.953 and 0.949, respectively. Correlation coefficient (r) used to assess convergent validity between the PMCSMS and the SEMCD was 0.76 (p < 0.5). Number of morbidities negatively correlated with scores of self-management self- efficacy scores of the PMCSMS and the SEMCD (r = -0.50 and -0.51, respectively). Discussion The translated PMCSMS and SEMCD are valid and reliable scales that can be used by researchers and healthcare providers to assess levels of self-efficacy among individuals with multimorbidities. The translated scales can be employed in research or interventional programmes that aim to improve self-management or self-efficacy among individuals with multimorbidities.