Development of the Korean-translation of Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM) Questionnaire

Kim, Soo Woong; Oh, Seung June; Paick, Jae Seung; Kim, Sae Chul

Abstract

PURPOSE: A questionnaire is a mandatory screening tool for the deduction of an androgen deficiency in aging males (ADAM). The aim of this study was to translate the ADAM questionnaire into Korean and validate it linguistically.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two native Korean speakers, who were also fluent in English, independently translated the original English version of the ADAM questionnaire into written Korean. A panel, consisting of the aforementioned translators and four urologists, reviewed the translations to form a single acceptable forward translation. Another translator, having never seen the original version, back-translated the first draft into English. The discrepancies between the original form and the first draft of the Korean translation were reviewed by the panel. Cognitive debriefing interviews with five impotent males with low serum total testosterone levels (>250 ng/dl) were conducted to test the interpretation of the translation.
RESULTS
After the forward translation of the ADAM questionnaire, the cultural, linguistic and emotional aspects were discussed, item-by-item, to arrive at a first version. Another bilingual translator then back- translated the first Korean version into English. The panel discussed every discrepancy and decided to modify questions 6 and 8 (second version). Five ADAM patients gave their opinions on the understandability of the translated questionnaire and clarified the questions on a standard form. Through this cognitive debriefing process, the second version was verified as the final Korean version of the ADAM questionnaire, without modifications.
CONCLUSIONS
The linguistic validation of Korean version of the ADAM questionnaire has been completed, which might be a useful and reasonable screening tool for the detection of androgen deficiency in aging Korean males.