Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the self evaluation of breathing questionnaire (SEBQ) into Danish

Background and Purpose: Dysfunctional breathing (DB) with or without an underlying medical condition is associated with impaired quality of life. DB-related symptoms can be measured with the 25-item Self Evaluation of Breathing Questionnaire (SEBQ). However, the SEBQ is not available in Danish.The aim of the present study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the SEBQ into Danish and to assess the face validity of the Danish version of the questionnaire in individuals with DB-related symptoms. Materials and Methods: The SEBQ was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Danish using an internationally acknowledged six-step forward-backward translation guideline in an interactive process with an expert committee of clinicians, translators, methodologists and the SEBQ developer. Face validity was explored through semi-structured interviews with 24 adult individuals with DB-related symptoms (age 20–70 years, female n = 14). Results: The SEBQ was successfully translated and cross-culturally adapted into Danish. Three major modifications were made following the translation process and participant interviews. First, an introductory paragraph, including a recall period of the previous seven days, was added. Second, the administration of the questionnaire was changed from a paper to an electronic version. Finally, adaptations regarding semantic equivalence, especially concerning being ‘breathless’ and ‘short of breath’, were performed. The participants expressed that the final version of the SEBQ embraced their DB-related symptoms, was understandable, and easy to complete. Conclusion: The SEBQ is the first available Danish questionnaire to measure DB-related symptoms, following an internationally acknowledged cross-cultural adaptation and face validity evaluation approach. This promising validation should be followed by an assessment of measurement properties in individuals with DB-related symptoms to investigate the adequacy of the SEBQ in a Danish context.