The cultural adaptation and validation of a Swedish version of the satisfaction with appearance scale (SWAP-Swe).

Abstract

Body image dissatisfaction is a source of stress after burns and it is important to attempt to objectively measure this aspect. Unfortunately, there are no Swedish questionnaires to assess satisfaction of appearance after burns. The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt and validate the Satisfaction With Appearance Scale (SWAP) into Swedish from American English to be used in the context of burn care. The SWAP was translated and cross-cultural adapted inspired by the guidelines by Guillemin. Pre-testing with 13 burn patients was conducted and 90 patients tested the questionnaire in order to determine its psychometric properties. Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 indicating a high level of internal consistency of Swedish SWAP. Test for construct validity showed that length of hospital stay, more severe burns and female gender generated significantly higher scores in SWAP-Swe. The principal-components analysis found similar subscales according to the original SWAP that together accounted for 68% of the total variance. SWAP-Swe is a reliable and valid instrument for use in a Swedish speaking population. The questionnaire was perceived to be relevant for usage in the context of burn care and is well understood by the patients.