Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of vestibular rehabilitation benefit questionnaire

Abstract Background Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is an evidence-based intervention to improve symptoms related to many vestibular disorders. Following VRT, patient-reported questionnaires can grasp the subjective complaint of the patient, independent of the clinician’s interpretation. This study was conducted to translate and culturally adapt the Vestibular Rehabilitation Benefit Questionnaire (VRBQ) into Arabic for evaluating the effectiveness of VRT on quality of life (QoL) and patient’s psychological aspects among Egyptian and Arabic-speaking adults. Methods The original English version of VRBQ was translated into Arabic based on the international guidelines for self-reported measures. The content validity was estimated by seven audio-vestibular professionals to give their comments and opinions. Then, face validity was evaluated to check for any unclear words and phrases. After that, the final Arabic version was completed by 110 patients diagnosed with vestibular disorders to assess its construct validity and reliability. To ascertain construct validity, patients were also evaluated using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Vertigo Symptom Scale-Short Form (VSS-SF). Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were used to assess the Arabic VRBQ’s reliability. Results The convergent validity was determined revealing a positive moderate to strong correlation of the Arabic VRBQ total score with the scores of both validation scales using Spearman’s correlation coefficient (r: 0.432 to 0.612, p < 0.001). The discriminant validity of VRBQ was obvious in the positive weak correlations between the VRBQ-QoL subscale and both the DHI physical subscale (r: 0.344, p = 0.006) and the VSS-SF anxiety subscale (r: 0.332, p = 0.001). Regarding reliability, the Arabic VRBQ showed good and acceptable internal consistency in total and subscales scores with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (range: 0.713 to 0.810). Test–retest reliability was excellent for the total score, subscales scores and for each item score as Spearman’s correlation coefficients (range :+ 0.915 to + 0.995, p < 0.001) indicating high stability of the Arabic VRBQ over time. Conclusion The Arabic version of VRBQ is a valid and reliable tool that can be used for monitoring rehabilitation plans and evaluating rehabilitative outcomes for individuals undergoing vestibular rehabilitation.