• Sami Alharethy, Mawaheb Al Wedami, Falah Syouri, Almaha A Alqabbani, Abdulsalam Baqays, Tamer Mesallam, and Turki Aldrees.
• Correspondence: Dr. Turki Mohammed Aldrees Medical College, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia pt.turki@ hotmail.com ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5284-3956.
• Ann Saudi Med. 2017 Sep 1; 37 (5): 357361357-361.

BackgroundAllergic rhinitis (AR) is a common inflammation of the nasal mucosa in response to allergen exposure. We translated and validated the Score for Allergic Rhinitis (SFAR) into an Arabic version so that the disease can be studied in an Arabic population.ObjectivesSFAR is a non-invasive self-administered tool that evaluates eight items related to AR. This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the SFAR questionnaire into Arabic, and assess the validity, consistency, and reliability of the translated version in an Arabic-speaking population of patients with suspected AR.Study DesignCross-sectional.SettingTertiary care hospital in Riyadh.Participants And MethodsThe Arabic version of the SFAR was administered to patients with suspected AR and control participants.Main Outcome MeasureComparison of the AR and control groups to determine the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the instrument.ResultsThe AR (n=173) and control (n=75) groups had significantly different Arabic SFAR scores (P < .0001). The instrument provided satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha value of 0.7). The test-retest reliability was excellent for the total Arabic SFAR score (r =0.836, P < .0001).ConclusionThese findings demonstrate that the Arabic version of the SFAR is a valid tool that can be used to screen Arabic speakers with suspected AR.LimitationsThe absence of objective allergy testing.

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