Translation and validation of the Malay version of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire in a Malaysian setting

The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) was developed as a tool to measure happiness. The original English version of the OHQ has been previously shown to have high internal consistency and high convergent validity in the Malaysian population. As diverse cultural identities influence the way multi-ethnic populations view happiness, there is an unmet need for a valid and reliable measurement tool in the Malay language. Therefore, the OHQ was translated into a Malay version and validated in the Malaysian setting. The translation process included a backward and forward translation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 350 adult Malaysians in Klang Valley. Cronbach’s alpha was determined, along with content validity and construct validity of the questionnaire. The content validity was excellent, indicating that the items were relevant to happiness. The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) for the Malay version of the OHQ was 0.849. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure of the Malay version of the OHQ, comprising cheerfulness and self-esteem. The Cronbach’s alpha for both extracted factors were more than 0.70. The items in the factors cheerfulness and self-esteem showed good inter-item correlation. The Malay version of the OHQ is therefore expected to allow valid measurement of happiness among the Malay speaking population in Malaysia in the near future.