Background
Methods
Translation
Testing of translations
Results
Translation
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Differences between Dutch and Flemish For four out of nine item banks (Table 1) and seven out of 151 items (5 %), it was necessary to have separate translations for Dutch and Flemish for some items (see asterisks Table 1). For example, the word “walking” was translated as “lopen” in Dutch, but had to be translated as “stappen” in Flemish because “lopen” means running in Flemish (“hardlopen” in Dutch) and “stappen” means going out in Dutch.Table 1Translated pediatric PROMIS item banksEnglishDutch–FlemishNumber of itemsAsthma impactaAstma impact17AngeraBoosheid5AnxietyAngst13Depressive symptomsDepressieve klachten13FatigueVermoeidheid23Physical function—mobilitycLichamelijk functioneren—mobiliteit23Physical function—upper ExtremityLichamelijk functioneren—bovenste extremiteit29Pain interferencebBelemmeringen door pijn13Peer relationshipsRelaties met leeftijdsgenoten15TotalTotal151
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Different measurements The measurement units used in the Netherlands and Flanders are different from those used in the USA. For example, in the Netherlands and Flanders, kilos and meters are used instead of pounds and miles.
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Different concepts The item “I worried when I went to bed at night” was translated as “Ik maakte me zorgen als ik ‘s avonds naar bed ging” (I worried when I went to bed in the evening). Dutch distinguishes between “avond” (evening—before midnight) and “nacht” (night—after midnight).
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Absence of literal translations The item “I could walk across the room,” was translated as “Ik kon naar de andere kant van de kamer lopen” (I could walk to the other side of the room). There is no literal translation for “across the room.”
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Different ways of saying The items “I could put on my socks by myself” and “I could put on my shoes by myself” have two different translations in Dutch, in Dutch you say to pull on socks and put on shoes.