Arabic Version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders Reliable in Evaluating Quality of Life in Patients 

by Linda Kossoff •

CLINICAL QUESTION

How reliable and valid is the Arabic brief Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD) in assessing quality of life among patients in Saudi Arabia who experience olfactory dysfunction?

BOTTOM LINE

The Arabic brief QOD demonstrated good validity and reliability in evaluating quality of life in patients affected by olfactory dysfunction (OD).

BACKGROUND: Reliable tools of assessment are essential for better management of OD. Evaluations of OD include psychophysical tests, electrophysiological tests, and self-rated measures, including the self-report questionnaire, QOD. Although the QOD has proven to be a valuable assessment tool, it is conducted primarily in English, making it inaccessible to non-English speakers.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study

SETTING: College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

SYNOPSIS: Researchers enrolled 196 adult patients (51.5% male) suffering from OD who visited a single rhinology clinic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January to June 2023. A total of 111 control subjects (56.0% male) were recruited for comparison. Participants completed a questionnaire including demographic information, olfaction Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22), and the Arabic version of the brief QOD. The Arabic brief QOD’s reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha to measure internal consistency. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.757 for Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders–Parosmia (QOD-P), 0.832 for Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders–Quality of Life (QOD-QoL), and 0.817 for Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders–Visual Analog Scale (QOD-VAS). The reliability of the overall brief QOD was 0.93. The highest correlation was observed between the SNOT-22 and QOD total scores and between SNOT-22 and QOD VAS. Authors note that the brief version of the QOD can be more easily translated and that its use can open doors to broader global use. Study limitations included limited sample size and predominance of a younger population in the control group.

CITATION: Alsaleh S, Alfallaj R, Almousa H, et al. Reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the brief version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2024;9:e1252. doi: 10.1002/lio2.1252.