Background/Objective(s)Walking difficulties are common functional impairments among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The 12-item MS walking scale (MSWS-12) is a widely used self-reported measure to assess the impact of MS on walking ability and is highly recommended to be used by the neurology section of the American Physical Therapy Association's Multiple Sclerosis Taskforce (MSEDGE). The MSWS-12 was originally developed in the English language and has been translated into different languages. To our knowledge, however, the MSWS-12 has not yet been translated into the Arabic language.Material(s) and Method(s)A total of 64 MS individuals with a mean age 41.6 (SD=11) participated in this study. All had mild-moderate disease severity assessed by the Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) (Median=2, Q1-Q3=0-4). The MSWS-12 was translated according to international standards using forward and backward translation. An expert committee reviewed and cross-culturally adapted the translated version. The final version was piloted on six MS individuals who had no problems understanding the translated version. All participants completed the MSWS-12 Arabic version, the six-minute walk test (6MWT) for physical endurance, the timed up and go test (TUG) for gait and balance, International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) for physical activity, and the modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS) to measure fatigue. Spearman's correlations were used to test the construct validity of the MSWS-12 with the outcomes of interest.Result(s)The total score of the MSWS-12 was 53.5 ± 25 (range 20-100). There was no association between MSWS-12 with age or disease duration. There was a significant strong association between MSWS-12 and PDDS (r= .702, p= < .000), 6MWT (r= -.662, p= < .000), TUG (r= .642, p= < .000), IPAQ total METS (r= -.510, P= < .000), and a moderate significant correlation with MFIS (r= .462, p= < .000). The total score did not show a ceiling or floor effect.Conclusion(s)The results of this study demonstrate that the MSWS-12 Arabic version is valid and adapted for use among Arabic speaking MS individuals. Our findings are consistent with previous studies that explored its validity in various languages including English, Italian, Brazilian, and Persian.
Background/Objective(s)
Walking difficulties are common functional impairments among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The 12-item MS walking scale (MSWS-12) is a widely used self-reported measure to assess the impact of MS on walking ability and is highly recommended to be used by the neurology section of the American Physical Therapy Association's Multiple Sclerosis Taskforce (MSEDGE). The MSWS-12 was originally developed in the English language and has been translated into different languages. To our knowledge, however, the MSWS-12 has not yet been translated into the Arabic language.
A total of 64 MS individuals with a mean age 41.6 (SD=11) participated in this study. All had mild-moderate disease severity assessed by the Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) (Median=2, Q1-Q3=0-4). The MSWS-12 was translated according to international standards using forward and backward translation. An expert committee reviewed and cross-culturally adapted the translated version. The final version was piloted on six MS individuals who had no problems understanding the translated version. All participants completed the MSWS-12 Arabic version, the six-minute walk test (6MWT) for physical endurance, the timed up and go test (TUG) for gait and balance, International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) for physical activity, and the modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS) to measure fatigue. Spearman's correlations were used to test the construct validity of the MSWS-12 with the outcomes of interest.
The total score of the MSWS-12 was 53.5 ± 25 (range 20-100). There was no association between MSWS-12 with age or disease duration. There was a significant strong association between MSWS-12 and PDDS (r= .702, p= < .000), 6MWT (r= -.662, p= < .000), TUG (r= .642, p= < .000), IPAQ total METS (r= -.510, P= < .000), and a moderate significant correlation with MFIS (r= .462, p= < .000). The total score did not show a ceiling or floor effect.
The results of this study demonstrate that the MSWS-12 Arabic version is valid and adapted for use among Arabic speaking MS individuals. Our findings are consistent with previous studies that explored its validity in various languages including English, Italian, Brazilian, and Persian.