Translation and validation of an epilepsy-screening questionnaire in three Nigerian languages

Objective We describe the development, translation and validation of epilepsy-screening questionnaires in three most popular Nigerian languages: Hausa, Igbo Yoruba. Methods A 9-item questionnaire was developed by modifying previously validated English language questionnaires. Separate multilingual experts forward- back-translated them to target languages. Translations were discussed with fieldworkers community members for ethnolinguistic acceptability comprehension. used an unmatched affected-case versus unaffected-control design pilot study. Cases people epilepsy attending tertiary hospitals where these languages are spoken. The controls relatives cases or other medical conditions. An affirmative response any nine questions amounted a positive screen epilepsy. Results recruited 153 (75 78 controls) Hausa version, 106 (45 61 (66 87 sensitivity specificity were: (97.3% 88.5%), (91.1% 88.5%) Yoruba (93.9% 86.7%). versions reliably indicated predictive values 85.9% (Hausa), 85.4% (Igbo) 87.3% (Yoruba) excluded negative 97.1% 93.1% 95.1% (Yoruba). Positive likelihood ratios all greater than one. Conclusions Validated screening now available be community-based survey Nigeria. process facilitate usage development sub-Saharan Africa.