Translation and Cultural Validation of the WERF EPHect Endometriosis Patient Questionnaire into Canadian French.

Abstract

To produce a culturally validated Canadian French version of the Standard EPHect Endometriosis Patient Questionnaire (EPQ-S) from the World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF). We studied 17 premenopausal women who were seen for pelvic pain symptoms or suspicion of endometriosis at the gynaecology clinic of the CHU de Québec - Université Laval (Québec City, Canada). Participants completed the French language version of the questionnaire at their first visit, and the validation took place about 1 week later. All 22 of the invited women agreed to participate, of whom 17 were reached for the validation. The mean age of participants was 38.9 years, and 15 (88%) had a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis. Fourteen participants (82%) found the questionnaire clear and relevant. The average length of time to complete the questionnaire was 36.25 ± 10.8 minutes. The validation process resulted in the addition of lines at the end of each section to allow space for specific comments and some clarifications with respect to timelines. This study validated a Canadian French version of the EPHect questionnaire. With such validation studies, differences in language and culture will no longer be a barrier to large national and international studies on endometriosis, leading to high-quality research and breakthroughs for millions of individuals living with this disease.