Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity of the Shortened Version of the Falls Efficacy Scale-International to Assess Fear of Falling in the Kurdish Central Dialect

Abstract

Background: People with vestibular disorders often experience imbalance and fear of falling. The Short Falls Efficacy Scale–International (Short FES-I) is a reliable and valid tool used worldwide to assess concerns about falling, and it has been translated into many languages. However, there is a lack of validated Kurdish tools for measuring fall-related concerns. The Short FES-I has not previously been adapted for Kurdish speakers. Objectives: this study translated and culturally adapted the Short FES-I into Central Kurdish (FES-I-CK) and evaluated its reliability and validity among Kurdish-speaking individuals with vestibular disorders using a cross-sectional survey. The aim was to verify the tool’s measurement quality and ensure it is suitable for use in the Kurdish context. Materials and Methods: The research employed a systematic approach to cross-cultural adaptation to generate a concise iteration of the Falls Efficacy Scale-International tailored for implementation among Kurdish individuals diagnosed with vestibular disorders. The reliability is estimated with intraclass correlation co-efficient (2), and the internal consistency is assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) and composite reliability. The discriminating validity was evaluated using the Mann–Whitney U test. To assess convergent validity, Spearman correlation test was used. Results: The participants (n = 120) were composed of 90 patients with vestibular symptoms (mean − age 47 ±14.7, range 59 years; 66.7% women) and 30 healthy participants (mean − age 45 ±14.4; range 47 years; 70% women). The Kurdish version fall efficacy scale revel an internal consistency; scale alpha were 0.7. Mann whiteny u test established discriminating validity between healthy and patients. Convergent validity was examined through correlation VSS-SF-CK and short fall efficacy scale. Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed high external reliability. Conclusion: This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the adapted editions of the Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International within a group of Kurdish- speaking individuals diagnosed with vestibular disorders. The results were promising, as they revealed external consistency and construct validity. The goodness fit indices showed that the Kurdish version of Shortened version of the Falls Efficacy Scale-International is a reliable and validated PROM that can be used by clinicians and researchers in the Kurdish-speaking population.