Dutch translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the LIMB-Q Kids questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to translate and culturally adapt the LIMB-Q Kids questionnaire for use in the Netherlands. The LIMB-Q Kids is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess functional, psychosocial, and aesthetic aspects of living with a limb difference in paediatric populations. AIM: To investigate the feasibility of a questionnaire in the Netherlands, which was translated into Dutch after having already been successfully translated and validated in several other languages. METHODS: The translation and adaptation process followed best practice guidelines, including forward and backward translation, expert panel review, and cognitive debriefing interviews with patients. The interviews focused on the clarity and comprehensibility of the instructions, response options, and questionnaire items. RESULTS: The rigorous process resulted in a linguistically and conceptually equivalent Dutch version of the LIMB-Q Kids questionnaire. While some challenges were encountered, no major difficulties were reported. The constructs and cultural relevance were found to be relatable to the Dutch context. Minor adjustments were made based on patient feedback, such as clarifying questions and modifying translations for technical terms. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the successful translation and cultural adaptation of the LIMB-Q Kids questionnaire for use in the Netherlands. By following best practices, the researchers have developed a version that is conceptually and linguistically equivalent to the original English version. The availability of this Dutch version will facilitate the assessment of outcomes in paediatric populations with limb differences, and potentially enable cross-cultural comparisons.