Cross-cultural adaptation of the Persian Comprehensive Acne Quality of Life (CompAQ) scale and quality of life assessment in Iranian acne patients

Negative cognitions of acne patients can affect their quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to translate the comprehensive acne QoL scale (CompAQ) into Persian and evaluate its validity and reliability. It also aimed to assess the QoL in acne patients, who were referred to our outpatient clinics. CompAQ was translated into Persian and back-translated into English to ensure accuracy. A panel of experts evaluated the clarity, simplicity, and necessity of the questionnaire items, while five patients examined their comprehensibility. Then, 66 acne patients completed Persian versions of CompAQ and Cardiff acne disability index (CADI) to evaluate concurrent validity. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to evaluate the internal consistency. Following psychometric validation, 46 patients with moderate/severe acne who were referred to our dermatology clinic during 2018-2019 were included in this cross-sectional study using the convenience sampling method. The Persian CompAQ indicated satisfactory concurrent validity (P = 0.012, r = 0.419), and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.976), with all dimensions being positively correlated with the total CompAQ score (P < 0.001). The cross-sectional study included 46 female patients, with a mean CompAQ score of 45.80 ± 32.48. ‘Treatment concerns’ had the highest mean score among all dimensions (16.10 ± 6.52). CompAQ score was significantly higher in patients with substance abuse (P = 0.041) than in other acne patients. The Persian version of CompAQ was a valid and reliable tool for measuring QoL in patients with acne. It could be used to assess the effects of acne as well as the consequences of therapeutic interventions on the QoL of patients.