Translation and validation of the arabic version of the capability assessment for diet and activity (Cada) questionnaire in saudi university employed women

Abstract

Background: The Capability Assessment for Diet and Activity (CADA) is a questionnaire that was developed in English and designed to measure the practical barriers and opportunities for diet and physical activity. Objective: This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the CADA questionnaire for the Arabic context in a sample of Saudi women employed at a university. Methods: The CADA was translated into Arabic using the forward and backward translation process. The Arabic version was then validated with a sample of 125 female Saudi participants. In order to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was assessed, and a principal component analysis was performed. Results: The translated CADA had good psychometric quality. The content validity analysis revealed a representativeness score of 99.3% and a degree of clarity of 98.6%, indicating excellent compatibility. The principal component analysis showed a single-factor structure. Conclusions: The Arabic version of the CADA questionnaire is now available to assess opportunities to achieve a healthy diet and physical activity level as part of health behavior management, which can lead to more effective interventions for improving people’s health in Arabic-speaking countries.