Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of irritable bowel syndrome severity scoring system

Objective Given that the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) is widely utilized in IBS-related clinical research but lacks an officially approved Chinese version (IBS-SSS-C), which has impeded its application in Chinese research contexts. This study aims to translate and cross-culturally adapt the IBS-SSS into a Chinese version, and validate its key properties, thereby developing a reliable and officially recognized tool for assessing IBS severity among the Chinese population. Methods We obtained translation permission for the IBS-SSS from the Rome Foundation, and translated and cross-culturally adapted it into a Chinese version according to the official guideline. Validation was performed as clinical trials assessing responsiveness to change ( n = 95), test–retest reliability ( n = 35) and the floor-ceiling effects ( n = 95) of IBS-SSS-C. We assessed the IBS-SSS-C score’s responsiveness to change using adequate relief (AR) as an anchor. Results Through forward and backward translation, and cross-cultural adaption, the IBS-SSS-C was developed and approved for use by the Rome Foundation. A significance difference in the absolute change of the IBS-SSS-C total score before and after treatment was found in the AR responder and non-responder groups ( p = 0.001). This trend also emerged for the items abdominal pain severity ( p = 0.032), abdominal pain frequency ( p = 0.001), and bowel habit satisfaction ( p = 0.036). There was good test–retest reliability ( r = 0.72) for the IBS-SSS-C total score, and a moderate to good correlation ( r = 0.41–0.81) for each of its items. No floor or ceiling effect was found in either IBS-SSS-C or any of its item. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the IBS-SSS-C appears to be a reliable and appropriate instrument for IBS outcome assessment in the Chinese population; nevertheless, further validation in larger-scale, multi-center studies is required.