Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire: translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Italian version (MSK-HQ-I)

Background: Skeletal muscle disorder refers to a pathological condition and/or pathology, (e.g. osteoarthritis, inflammatory disorders, and muscular, articular or bone disorders) that involve all the skeletal muscle districts of the body. Musculoskeletal pain (MSD or MSK) is the biggest cause of disability. Objective: The purpose of this study was to translate, culturally adapt and validate an Italian version of the Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ-I) by administering the questionnaire to a sample of 250 individuals with musculoskeletal disorders through a cross-sectional study. Methods: Participants enrolled in this study were those aged 18 and older with pathological diagnoses reporting skeletal muscle disorders. International guidelines were used to translate and culturally adapt the MSK-HQ-I tool. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the scale have been evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), respectively. To assess concurrent and construct validity, the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12), the EuroQol five-dimension (EQ-5D-3L), the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the MSK-HQ-I were administered together. The Pearson's correlation coefficient was also calculated. Results: All the MSK-HQ-I items were identical or similar to the original English version of the MSK-HQ developed in the United Kingdom. The mean MSK-HQ-I score in this study was 37.39 +/- 9.35. Cronbach's a was 0.871 (p < 0.01) and ICC was 0.963 (p < 0.01). The correlation with the SF-12 mental score was 0.319 (p < 0.01) and with the SF-12 physical score was 0.703 (p < 0.01). The correlation with the EQ-5D-3L score was 0.674. The correlation with the EQ-5D-3L VAS score was 0.537. Finally, the correlation with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was -0,656 (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The MSK-HQ-I has shown consistent results for reliability and validity. The scale will be useful for medical doctors, researchers and physiotherapists to evaluate and control musculoskeletal disorders among the Italian population.