Cross cultural Adaptation and Validity of the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale Questionnaire (QBPDS) into Kannada (QBPDS - Ka) – A Pilot study

Low back pain (LBP) is a widespread musculoskeletal issue, impacting 60-80% of individuals at some point and leading to significant disability due to pain, mobility limitations, and psychological stress. The Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS) is widely used globally to assess LBP-related disability and has been adapted into many languages. However, in India’s linguistically diverse context, a validated Kannada version of the QBPDS is not yet available, despite Kannada being spoken by around 40 million people. Existing tools, like the Oswestry Disability Index, are limited in Kannada due to complex language and cultural differences. This study aims to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the QBPDS for Kannada speakers (QBPDS-Ka), addressing a gap in LBP assessment for clinical and research use in Kannada-speaking populations.