RESEARCH PAPER Adaptation and validation of the Iranian version of Angina Pectoris characteristics questionnaire Tahereh Najafi-Ghezeljeh MS Faculty Member, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran; PhD Student at Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden Inger Ekman RN PhD Professor, Head of Institute of Health and Care Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden Mansoureh Yadavar Nikravesh PhD Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran Azita Emami RN RNT PhD Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer, Head of Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden Accepted for publication August 2008 Najafi-Ghezeljeh T, Ekman I, Nikravesh MY, Emami A. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2008; 14: 470–476 Adaptation and validation of the Iranian version of Angina Pectoris characteristics questionnaire Research aimed at evaluating Angina Pectoris (AP) symptoms in patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) requires a comprehensive assessment tool applicable to this population. Because no single existing measure assessed the full range of symptom characteristics important to our study, we combined two measures (the modified Rose Questionnaire (MRQ), and the Short Form-McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and added one item to examine specific aspects of AP symptoms (Accompanying Symptom Checklist). The purposes of this study are: (i) to describe the process of translating the SF-MPQ, MRQ and accompanying symptom checklist from English to the Farsi language; and (ii) to evaluate substantial psycho- metric works (content and construct validity) for the entire instrument and each part of it (SF-MPQ, MRQ and accompanying symptom checklist). A cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument was carried out before developing the final version of it. To these ends, one hundred and 10 CHD patients with AP were assessed by this hybrid measure in an initial study. An analysis of the results indicated that a content valid instrument had been developed. There was a significantly high correlation between scores in the SF-MPQ and there were associations between items in the MRQ. The Iranian version of AP characteristics questionnaire is valid; it is capable of describing characteristics of AP symptoms. However, the reliability of the instrument needs to be assessed through further research. Key words: chest pain, content validity, construct validity, coronary heart disease, cross-cultural adaptation. INTRODUCTION Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Angina Pectoris (AP) is a symptom of CHD. 1 Symptoms are subjective indications of illness, perceptible to the patient. Clinicians should therefore Correspondence: Tahereh Najafi-Ghezeljeh, Karolinska Institutet, 23300, SE-141 83, Huddinge, Sweden. Email: tahereh.najafi@ki.se International Journal of Nursing Practice 2008; 14: 470–476 doi:10.1111/j.1440-172X.2008.00722.x © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd