Endocrine Abstracts

EMAS - SFQ is recently available instrument, validated and prooved valid in multicentral European study of more than 3000 eldery men (O’Connor DB, Corona G & Forti G et al. 2008). This questionnaire assess male sexual functions rather than only erection disturbances.

The aim of this study was to perform translation of EMAS - SFQ from English to Lithuanian for assessing elderly Lithuanian men suffering of prostate cancer. Permission for translation was kindly offered by I Huhtaniemi and J Finn as well as detailed procedure when having the questionnaire translated to Lithuanian.

The procedure consisted of translation – backtranslation of two pairs of persons, resulting in two versions of Lithuanian EMAS – SFQ followed by expert evaluation, resulting in the only final version. Instructions for translators were: <no deadline, no hurry, but quality>. Quality of translation was considered text to be close to English original and Lithuanian language and understanding.

Permission for translation - 6th October, Final version pair 1st–26th October. Final version pair 2nd–6th December. Final version of EMAS – SFQ – 10th December.

1st pair – psychiatrist–endocrinologist/ andrologist, 2nd pair – endocrinologist–psychologist, expert evaluation–endocrinologist/andrologist/sexologist and endocrinologist/sexologist/English philologist.

197 positions for translation were found in EMAS – SFQ.

63 positions (32%) were evaluated by experts as the same in sense and grammar between 1st and 2nd pairs.

57 positions (28.95%) were evaluated by experts in favour of the 1-st pair translation, and 27 positions (13.7%) – in favour of the 2-nd pair translation.

In 21 position (10.65%) text was finally modified by experts.

Final version of EMAS - SFQ was approoved by experts.

The final version was composed of positions with the same sense and grammar in both pairs of translators, favoured positions of 1-st or 2-nd pair of translators and all the positions with modified text.

Proposed procedure of translation proves that the only translation - backtranslation may be insufficient for optimal result.

Model of translation using two pairs of translators – backtranslators plus expert evaluation elucidates coincidences and differences in translation and permits the emission of final optimal version.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.