Translation and validation of revised illness perception questionnaire (IPQ-R): The Malay version in Malaysia

Introduction: Patients' perceptions are critical determinants in healthcare acquisition.This study aims to translate the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) into the Malay version and further validate it among patients with atrial fibrillation in a tertiary care center.Methods: A standard "forward-backward" procedure was used to translate IPQ-R into the Malay language and further validated using a convenience sample of 62 atrial fibrillation patients.Reliability and validity were tested via internal consistency and test-retest method.Results: Internal consistency using the Cronbach's Alpha test of the dimensions of IPQ-R ranged from 0.50 to 0.87 and test-retest reliability using Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient ranged from 0.86 to 0.98 (p<0.001).There was no relationship found between warfarin adherence and atrial fibrillation perception in this study.However, there is a positive correlation between patients' INR and the negative emotions triggered by AF. Conclusion:The translated Malay version of the Revised-Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) represents a valid and reliable instrument enabling a quantitative assessment of illness beliefs among AF patients in Malaysia.