Translation of the Breathing Vigilance Questionnaire for respiratory diseases

INTRODUCTION: Breathing vigilance - a heightened focus on breathing, which is linked to anxiety - potentially exacerbates symptoms in people with respiratory conditions, e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and breathing pattern disorder. The Breathing Vigilance Questionnaire (Breathe-VQ) was developed in English but requires translation and cross-cultural adaptation for broader use. We aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Breathe-VQ into Danish.

METHODS: Following established translation guidelines for patient-reported outcome measures, we conducted a six-stage adaptation process, including forward translation, backward translation, expert committee review and face validity testing. The validation process involved three interview rounds with 13 patients.

RESULTS: Patient feedback prompted iterative revisions in language and phrasing, particularly to address the semantics of temporal and intergenerational aspects. Patients found the Danish version easy to understand and reflective of their breathing experiences, confirming its face validity. The expert committee confirmed equivalence and cultural alignment with the original version.

CONCLUSIONS: The Danish Breathe-VQ demonstrates content equivalence and face validity, offering a suitable tool for measuring breathing vigilance in Danish-speaking populations.

FUNDING: The study was funded by Brunel University of London, United Kingdom, and Novo Nordisk Foundation, Denmark (NNF22OC0077446).

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pre-registered at the Open Science Framework.