Using the interviewer-administered version of Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ) in Russia: cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties in traumatic spinal cord injury

(1) To perform a cross-cultural adaptation of Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire to Russian (WORQ-R); (2) to report the psychometric properties of WORQ-R in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). WORQ is designed to evaluate the work functioning of individuals who are engaged in vocational rehabilitation. We performed a formal cross-cultural adaptation of WORQ from English to Russian utilizing a standardized 3-step approach. We examined the psychometric properties of WORQ-R in terms of its reliability and construct validity through the use of classical and modern test theory in the TSCI population. The adaptation process achieved equivalence between Russian and English versions of WORQ. WORQ-R proved to cover major issues concerning functioning in vocational rehabilitation and was simple to understand. The internal consistency of WORQ-R was good (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.83). Rasch analysis confirmed the unidimensionality of the WORQ-scale and high reliability (PSI = 0.97) based on a testlet solution. WORQ-R score showed a strong negative correlation with the Functional Independence Measure, moderate negative correlation with the Spinal Cord Independence Measure Version III and the SF-36, moderate positive correlation with the Spinal Cord Injury Secondary Conditions Scale. WORQ-R showed good validity and reliability in persons with TSCI allowing vocational professionals to have comprehensive information on vocational functioning.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONSCI is a disabling condition that causes impairments in body structure and function leading to activity limitations and participation restrictions.WORQ is a generic tool that allows for an assessment of work-related aspects of functioning in different populations of persons with disabilities.This study demonstrates the psychometric properties of the Russian version of WORQ in the SCI population.WORQ-R is recommended as a tool to describe the biopsychosocial and related vocational background to gain a better understanding of needs among SCI persons in terms of vocational rehabilitation. SCI is a disabling condition that causes impairments in body structure and function leading to activity limitations and participation restrictions. WORQ is a generic tool that allows for an assessment of work-related aspects of functioning in different populations of persons with disabilities. This study demonstrates the psychometric properties of the Russian version of WORQ in the SCI population. WORQ-R is recommended as a tool to describe the biopsychosocial and related vocational background to gain a better understanding of needs among SCI persons in terms of vocational rehabilitation.