The Longer-Term Unmet Needs After Stroke Questionnaire: Cross Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity for an Arabic Population رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Background: An extended range of diverse types of unfulfilled needs often occur in the case of stroke, encompassing physical, emotional, and social domains. These unmet needs must be addressed to enhance survivors’ quality of life. Unfortunately, there is no Arabic tool to evaluate the comprehensive needs of stroke patients, which would help in understanding and addressing these needs properly. Objective: To achieve this, the study was designed to translate and validate the Longer Term Unmet Needs after Stroke (LUNS) Questionnaire for Arabic-speaking survivors. Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study was carried out in four rehabilitation centers in the city of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Palestine. A total sample of 80 stroke survivors at 5 to 8 years since the stroke event was included in the study using convenience sampling. The LUNS instrument was translated and culturally adapted in the process of the study using well established guidelines. Its psychometric properties, including test-retest reliability and concurrent validity, were evaluated by comparison with the SF-12 Health Survey and the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI). Results: The test-retest reliability analysis demonstrated moderate to substantial agreement (Cohen’s Kappa coefficients between 0.45 and 0.67). Internal consistency reliability was high (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.771–0.874). Concurrent validity analyses revealed significant associations between LUNS items and health-related measures in the expected directions. Some of the most frequently reported unmet needs in this study included the need for information about stroke (86.3%) and the need for medical checkups (62.5%). IV Summary: A survey conducted in Arabic regarding the unmet needs of stroke survivors serves as a reliable tool for addressing research gaps in stroke rehabilitation science and its practical applications. It also facilitates the implementation of tailored interventions aimed at improving the quality of life for these individuals.