Validity and Reliability of Arabic Version of Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire in Assessment of Hand Function Post Burn

Abstract

Background: Burns on the hands are prevalent as a result of their exposed position. Hand burns can have a significant influence on both  the physical and psychological well-being. The Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) is commonly used to evaluate the hand  and wrist problems.

Objectives: To evaluate the validity and reliability of Arabic version of MHQ in assessment of hand function post burn.  

Subjects and Methods: 100 patients started to participate in the current study 1 month after burn injury, aged from (20-35) years,  who suffered from second degree thermal burn injury with total body surface area (TBSA) ranged from (20-30%) involving mostly the  dominant hand. The procedure of the study started by translation of the English version of MHQ into Arabic (forward and backward  translation process). The pre-final version of MHQ was reviewed and analysed by 10 experts for validation process. Patients were asked to  fill all items of the final version of MHQ to be tested and retested after 1 week for reliability assessment.

Results: The mean index of  clarity was 94.86%. The scale content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.94 and item content validity index (I-CVI) ranged from 0.8 to 1. The mean expert proportion of relevance was 94.59%. The r value was 0.667 and the p value was 0.001. Cronbach's alpha was 0.835. ICC of total  score was 0.974 with 95% CI 0.930-0.987. Completing the scale took an average of 12.46 ± 3.86 minutes, with a maximum of 20 minutes  and a minimum of 7 minutes.

Conclusion: The Arabic version of MHQ proved to be a valid, reliable and feasible tool for assessing hand  function in burned patients