The Arabic Version of the Utrecht Questionnaire for Outcome Assessment in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty: Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Validation.

BACKGROUND

Evaluating subjective rhinoplasty outcomes requires valid patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The Utrecht Questionnaire for Outcome Assessment in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty is a concise 5-item tool incorporating a visual analog scale (VAS). The authors report the cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of its Arabic version (A-OAR).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Following standardized forward-backward translation, the A-OAR was administered prospectively to 121 participants: 51 rhinoplasty patients (assessed preoperatively, and at 1 and 3 months postoperatively) and 70 healthy controls with comparable age and gender distributions (tested twice, 2-4 weeks apart). Psychometric evaluation included internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), test-retest reliability [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)], absolute reliability [standard error of measurement (SEM); minimal detectable change (MDC95)], convergent validity, discriminative validity, structural validity [exploratory factor analysis (EFA)], floor/ceiling effects, and responsiveness [standardized response mean (SRM)].

RESULTS

Internal consistency was high (preoperative α=0.882; 3-mo α=0.932), alongside strong test-retest reliability (ICC=0.830). SEM and MDC95 were 0.959 and 2.658, respectively. Convergent validity with the VAS was confirmed (P<0.002). The A-OAR discriminated effectively between patients and controls (P<0.001). EFA revealed a unidimensional structure explaining 82.9% of total variance and strong factor loadings (0.867-0.952). No significant floor or ceiling effects occurred at baseline. Longitudinally, scores improved significantly across all parameters (P<0.001). The sum score SRM increased from 0.92 at 1 month to 1.08 at 3 months, indicating excellent responsiveness.

CONCLUSION

The A-OAR is a reliable, valid, and highly responsive PROM, fully optimized for evaluating aesthetic rhinoplasty outcomes in Arabic-speaking populations across clinical and research settings.