WHO The World Health Survey Translation Classification, Assessment and Surveys

Issues in Translation WHS being implemented in > 70 countries Some languages do not have written scripts Some key strategies of cross-population comparability require uniformity of stimulus

Aims of Translation Ensure ‘conceptual’ equivalence Ensure uniform comprehension by respondents Ensure applicability to the widest audience Not a ‘literal’ or ‘etymological’ equivalence Avoid jargon, colloquialisms, technical terms, idioms, language that may be offensive

Translation procedure Bilingual multi-disciplinary group Familiarisation with instrument structure and content Translation into target language from one of 6 languages Discussion by mono-lingual group Independent back translation of selected terms Comparison for conceptual equivalence Systematic reporting on translation process

Evaluation of translation Review of back translated terms locally and at WHO Review of translated instrument by panel of experts Review of linguistic evaluation data sheets Building of a ‘translation memory’ to compare use of terms and generate future versions

Illustrations of translation problems Lack of similar concepts Idiomatic use of language Subtle changes in meaning Wrong use of terms