Translation and validation of the Patient Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire to Malay version

Objectives We aimed to translate the Patient Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (PDKQ) from the English version to the Malay version and validate it. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted by forward translating the English language PDKQ to the Malay language by two independent translators and backward-translated to the English language by another two independent translators. The Malay version of the PDKQ was harmonized and underwent expert content validation by six healthcare professionals. Subsequently, six patients participated in face validation. For the reliability test, patients who were recruited randomly answered both the PDKQ English version and the Malay version, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was analysed. Key findings Four items and three items were modified during forward and backward translation, respectively. The average scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) values for expert validation for relevance, importance and clarity were 1.000, 0.992, and 0.983, respectively, indicating relevant, important, and good clarity. For face validity, the average S-CVI for clarity was 0.975 and for understandability was 0.992. The ICC for the Malay version of the PDKQ was 0.945. Conclusion The Malay version PDKQ is a valid tool and has excellent reliability. It serves as a tool to assess the diabetes knowledge among Malay-speaking patients.