Validation of the Hebrew Version of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (H-EAT-10)

Background and Objectives: Dysphagia is a common disability with different etiologies. In order to measure dysphagia symptom severity and effects on quality of life, the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) was developed and validated in the English language. We aimed to develop a Hebrew version of the EAT-10 and to evaluate its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity in Hebrew-speaking adults with dysphagia. Subjects and Methods: The Hebrew EAT-10 (H-EAT-10) questionnaire was completed by 132 patients: 56 patients with dysphagia and 76 controls. Internal consistency analysis was calculated using Cronbach alpha, and test-retest reliability was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficient in order to assess clinical validity. Results: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were found to be high in the H-EAT-10 (Cronbach alpha = 0.955 and intraclass correlation = 0.98). In addition, H-EAT-10 scores in the dysphagia group were found to be significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that H-EAT-10 is a reliable and valid tool that may be implemented for clinical practice and research on dysphagia in a Hebrew-speaking population. (c) 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel