Cross‑Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire in Iranian Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis Using Thoracolumbar Orthoses

The assessment of the emotional consequences of having a spinal deformity and orthotic management in people with idiopathic scoliosis is essential. This study was aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Bad Sobernheim Stress questionnaire (BSSQ‑Brace) for Iranian adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis using thoracolumbar orthoses.

The BSSQ was translated into Persian according to a standard guideline. The Persian BSSQ‑Brace was completed by 55 Iranian subjects with spinal deformities who agreed to participate in this research. The validity was determined by correlating the Persian BSSQ‑Brace questionnaire (BrQ) and the revised Scoliosis Research Society‑22 patient questionnaire (SRS‑22r). To assess test‑retest reliability, all participants completed the BSSQ‑Brace twice, with a gap of 1‑week. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient and Cronbach’s alpha were measured to report reliability.

All population revealed items in the Persian BSSQ‑Brace were easily understood, and there was no difficulty completing them. The psychometric properties of the Persian version of BSSQ‑Brace demonstrated excellent test‑retest reliability (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.94), excellent internal consistency (Chronbach’s alpha = 0.94), and high construct validity with SRS‑22r (r = 0.74).

The Persian BSSQ‑Brace is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the emotional domains in subjects wearing a spinal orthosis.