SNOT-22 Validation in Greek Patients

Abstract

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with or without nasal polyps is a frequent and significant health problem. The 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) is a valid, disease-specific health status instrument translated into several languages. The translation into Greek has been considered essential for the individual assessment of the patients' symptoms and a reliable tool for quality of life evaluation. Methods: Our study included 40 patients with CRS without nasal polyps and 40 healthy individuals as control group recruited from the ENT Allergy and Endoscopy Clinic of Chania General Hospital. Assessment included full ENT examination and nasal endoscopy. In the study, we compared the patients' examination and reexamination results with the results of the control group, and thus estimated test-retest reliability, internal consistency (determined by Cronbach's alpha) and validity. Results: The statistical significance level calculated by the paired t test was p < 0.05 for all questions, which proves the questionnaire's consistency. The kappa value was estimated for each symptom, with an average value of 0.94. Cronbach's alpha was 0.934 in the test and 0.856 in the retest. The p value was <0.05 between both the control group and the test group and between the control group and the retest group. Conclusion: Our study certifies the existence of a valid, reproducible Greek version of SNOT-22, which overcomes limitations of use, allows to answer the questionnaire in Greek, and thus makes it highly recommended for Greek clinicians.