This study aimed to translate the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) General Life Satisfaction Short Form (GLS SF5a) into the Arabic language and psychometrically validate the scale in the general population of Saudi Arabia. The translation processes followed the international recommendations of the FACIT Measurement System. The study was a multicentre cross-sectional study conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 657 individuals who were above 18 years of age and able to write and comprehend Arabic completed the GLS SF5a. Rasch analysis was used to evaluate item fit, reliability indices, item difficulty, principal component analysis and local item dependency. WINSTEPS (v. 5.6.0) was used for the analysis. The translation process and cognitive defibring were completed with no issues. The rating scale categories had a disordered threshold. All items, except one, demonstrated a satisfactory fit to the Rasch model. The reliability of the person separation was 0.86. The scale was unidimensional, and no items showed local dependency. Overall, this study confirms the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the PROMIS GLS SF5a, which can be used as an instrument for measuring general life satisfaction in the general population. Further research is required to explore responsiveness, interpretability and feasibility in the clinical setting.
Keywords: Arabic; PROMIS; Rasch analysis; outcome measure; psychometrics; quality of life.