Validity and Reliability of Arabic Version of Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale

June 30, 2026 updated by: Sara Salah Ismaiel Elballat, Cairo University

The goal of this observational study is to determine whether the Arabic version of the Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale (EASPS) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing spine-related pain and functional disability in Arabic-speaking adults with nonspecific spinal pain.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Is the Arabic version of the EASPS a valid instrument for evaluating spine-related pain and disability among Arabic-speaking patients?
  • Is the Arabic version of the EASPS a reliable instrument with acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability?

Participants will:

  • Complete the Arabic version of the Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale (EASPS).
  • Complete the Arabic version of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire to assess construct validity.
  • Participate in the cultural adaptation and validation process of the Arabic EASPS.
  • A subgroup of participants will complete the Arabic EASPS again after 7 days to assess test-retest reliability.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Spinal pain, including cervical, thoracic, and lumbar pain, is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders worldwide and is associated with significant disability, reduced quality of life, and increased healthcare utilization. Accurate assessment of spinal pain and its impact on functional activities is essential for clinical decision-making, monitoring treatment outcomes, and conducting research. Patient-reported outcome measures provide a practical and efficient method for evaluating pain severity and disability; however, the availability of culturally adapted and validated assessment tools for Arabic-speaking populations remains limited.

The Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale (EASPS) is a multidimensional self-administered questionnaire designed to assess pain intensity, functional limitations, and disability related to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine. The instrument has demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties in its original English version and has been culturally adapted into other languages. However, an Arabic version has not yet been developed or validated.

The purpose of this prospective observational study is to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale among Arabic-speaking adults with nonspecific spinal pain. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation process will follow internationally accepted guidelines and will include forward translation, reconciliation, backward translation, expert committee review, and cognitive debriefing with representatives of the target population.

A total of 300 Arabic-speaking adults aged 18 to 45 years with nonspecific cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spinal pain will be recruited. Participants will complete the Arabic version of the EASPS and the validated Arabic version of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey. Construct validity will be assessed by examining the relationship between EASPS scores and SF-36 outcomes. Face and content validity will be evaluated by expert panels consisting of healthcare professionals and language specialists. Exploratory factor analysis will be conducted to investigate the underlying factor structure of the questionnaire.

Reliability testing will include assessment of internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). A subgroup of participants will complete the Arabic EASPS for a second time after a seven-day interval, provided that no significant clinical changes occur during that period.

The findings of this study are expected to provide a culturally appropriate, valid, and reliable Arabic version of the Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale, facilitating the assessment of spinal pain and disability in clinical practice and research settings across Arabic-speaking populations.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

300

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Egypt
      • Giza, Egypt
        • Cairo university

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will consist of Arabic-speaking adults aged 18 to 45 years diagnosed with nonspecific spinal pain involving the cervical, thoracic, and/or lumbar regions of the spine. Eligible participants will be recruited from outpatient physical therapy and musculoskeletal clinics. Participants must be able to read and understand Arabic and provide informed consent. Individuals with a history of spinal surgery, neurological deficits, serious spinal pathology (e.g., cancer or infection), cognitive impairment, or psychiatric conditions that may interfere with questionnaire completion will be excluded.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18-45 years.
  • Both sexes.
  • Diagnosed with nonspecific spinal pain (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar).
  • Arabic is a primary spoken and written language.
  • Ability to provide informed consent.

Inclusion criteria for experts:

  • Their experiences aren't less than ten years or at least master's degree in physical therapy.
  • Major part of their work is with the Arabic population.
  • They are fluent in Arabic and English language.
  • Both genders were included.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of spinal surgery.
  • Neurological deficits or serious pathology (e.g., cancer, infection).
  • Cognitive impairment or psychiatric conditions preventing questionnaire completion.
  • Undergoing active treatment changes during test-retest interval.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Arabic-Speaking Adults with Nonspecific Spinal Pain
This cohort consists of Arabic-speaking adults aged 18 to 45 years diagnosed with nonspecific spinal pain affecting the cervical, thoracic, and/or lumbar regions of the spine. Participants will complete the Arabic version of the Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale (EASPS) and the Arabic version of the SF-36 questionnaire. A subgroup of participants will complete the Arabic EASPS again after 7 days to evaluate test-retest reliability as part of the psychometric validation process.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Arabic Version of the Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale (EASPS)
Time Frame: Baseline and 7 Days
The Arabic version of the Extended Aberdeen Spine Pain Scale (EASPS) will be used to assess spine-related pain and disability. The questionnaire contains 30 items covering pain, physical impairment, and functional disability. Responses are summed and converted to a score ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater disability. The measure will be used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the instrument.
Baseline and 7 Days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Arabic Version of the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36)
Time Frame: Baseline
The Arabic version of the SF-36 questionnaire will be administered to assess construct validity of the Arabic EASPS. The SF-36 evaluates health-related quality of life across physical and mental health domains. The SF-36 yields domain scores ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status and functioning. Correlations between SF-36 scores and EASPS scores will be analyzed to determine construct validity.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Cairo University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 30, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • P.T.REC/012/006036

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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