Roland Morris disability questionnaire - adaptation and validation for the Portuguese speaking patients with back pain.

Abstract

The objective of the current study was to adapt and validate the Roland Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ) to the Portuguese patients because there are no European Portuguese psychometric instruments to evaluate patients suffering from low back pain. After translation and back translation the Portuguese version of the RMDQ was tested in 112 patients with low back pain (30 males and 82 females) to analyse psychometric characteristics. Analysis of measures obtained points to high levels of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.81) and temporal stability (test-retest: r = 0.86). External validity was assessed by association with numerical pain rating scale (END), Schöber test (TS) and fingertip floor measurement (GFA). The results revealed a large correlation between the RMDQ and END (r = 0.73) and a medium correlation with TS and GFA (in this order, r = -0,52 and r = 0,42). The psychometric analysis showed that the RMDQ gives reliable measures for the disability of patients with back pain and was successfully adapted and validated to the European Portuguese patients.