Brazilian transcultural adaptation of the "Family caregiver-specific quality of life scale": a methodological study

Abstract

Aim: to perform a transcultural adaptation of the Family Caregiver-Specific Quality of Life Scale to be used in Brazil. Method: a simple, easily applicable questionnaire was applied, composed of 16 questions, subdivided into the physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains, which was originally tested on a population composed of caregivers for heart failure patients. In this methodological study, the process of adaptation involved the translation, synthesis of translations, back translation and a committee of evaluators. Results: after the translation process, the committee of evaluators suggested some changes to the questionnaire that were authorized by its original author. Discussion: the questionnaire was considered pertinent to Brazilian culture, and to adequately represent the target-population, as well as presenting a good semantic equivalence between the final version in Portuguese and the original version. Conclusion: the instrument has proven to be sufficiently adequate to be used in the general population, and it has also been psychometrically validated.