Validation of the Chinese version of the Five-Part questionnaire for screening joint hypermobility in young adults

Abstract Background Joint hypermobility is a common condition with variable prevalence across populations. The Five-Part Questionnaire (5PQ) is a widely used self-report screening tool, but it has not been validated in Chinese. Methods This prospective study recruited university students in Chengdu, China. Participants completed the Chinese version of the 5PQ (5PQ-CN) and underwent Beighton score (BS) assessment, using ≥ 5 as the cut-off for generalised joint hypermobility (GJH). Validity was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Test–retest reliability was evaluated using Cohen’s kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results A total of 1,910 participants were recruited, of whom 615 were included in the final validity analysis and 325 in the reliability subgroup. The prevalence of GJH was 50.1% by BS and 56.4% by 5PQ-CN (p < .001). The 5PQ-CN demonstrated 78.6% sensitivity, 65.8% specificity, 72.2% accuracy, and an AUC of .722. Test–retest reliability showed Cohen’s kappa = .703 and ICC = .707, indicating substantial and moderate reliability, respectively. Conclusions The 5PQ-CN is a valid and reliable tool for screening GJH in young adults and may complement clinician-based assessments in both research and large-scale epidemiological settings.