Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002) to German

Abstract

Background Occupational skin diseases are among the most prevalent work-related diseases. The Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002) is a useful standardized epidemiological tool which enables screening of occupational skin diseases. The objective of this study was the translation and cross-cultural adaption of the NOSQ-2002 into German with particular attention to the clarity, comprehensibility and appropriateness of the translated version.

Methods The adaptation of the German NOSQ-2002 follows the Principles of Good Practices of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR).

Results After translation, the German version was tested by means of cognitive debriefing interviews. Overall, the translated German NOSQ-2002 was well understood by all 18 participants of the qualitative assessment. Only some modifications were required.

The whole process of translation and modification resulted in some minor alterations of the German NOSQ-2002 compared to the initial version. The result of the translation process is available at the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment (www.nrcwe.dk/NOSQ).

Conclusion A linguistically validated version of the NOSQ-2002 is now available for German speaking regions. This is a prerequisite for future assessments of occupational skin diseases in accordance with international standards. Further research is necessary to examine the psychometric properties of the German NOSQ-2002.