Abstract
Background and objective
This study examined the psychometric properties and equivalence of the six-item Headache
Impact Test (HIT-6) across 11 languages in 14 countries.
Methods
A multicenter, international cross-sectional study conducted in a primary care setting.
Data obtained from 1,171 adults from 14 countries who consulted their primary care
physician for headache completed the HIT-6 questionnaire and a headache survey were
included in this analysis. Item-level statistics (e.g., range of response choices
used by participants), item–scale statistics (e.g., item–total correlations), scale
level statistics (e.g., internal consistency reliability), and tests of differential
item functioning were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of all HIT-6
translations and their comparability across translations.
Results
Across languages, missing data were low, item–scale correlations were high, reliability
was adequate, and item-level statistics were generally comparable. We found only minor
differential item functioning, suggesting that the HIT-6 translations are equivalent
to the U.S. English form.
Conclusions
Psychometric analyses indicate that most HIT-6 translations (Canadian English, French,
Greek, Hungarian, UK English, Hebrew, Portuguese, German, Spanish, and Dutch) are
comparable to U.S. English. Improvements may be needed in the Finnish and Slovakian
translations and the appropriateness of using the HIT-6 in South Africa should be
explored further.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 10,
2004
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
