Linguistic validation of the demand-control-support questionnaire for nursing professionals in Spain

Abstract

Background. Nursing professionals are one of the groups most affected by work-related stress, which may affect the professional’s quality of life and the quality of nursing care. At the international level, the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) has proved to be a brief, valid and reliable tool for assessing psychosocial stress at work. The objective of this study was to obtain a Spanish version of the DCSQ for nursing professionals. Methods. The linguistic validation proceeded in two phases: 1) forward-translation, back-translation and linguistic adaptation of the instrument and 2) content validation of the instrument using a panel of seven experts, and evaluation of the applicability and comprehension of the adapted version in a sample of twenty-one nursing professionals. Results. Phase 1) In the translation process, one item required semantic changes, while five items required syntactic changes. The back-translation versions were similar, and the most relevant doubts were found in item 5, identified as a problematic item throughout the entire process. Phase 2) The content validity analysis showed excellent values (content validity index ≥ 0.90 and Kappa index values ≥ 0.65); moreover, the pilot study confirmed the adequate comprehensibility and applicability of the questionnaire. Conclusions. The use of a systematic and rigorous methodology made it possible to obtain a Spanish version of the DCSQ that is conceptually and linguistically equivalent to the original instrument and suitable for assessing psychosocial stress of nursing professionals in the workplace in a multidimensional manner.