Translation and cross-cultural adaptation into Italian, French, and German of the Undiagnosed COPD and Asthma Population Questionnaire (UCAP-Q): the Swiss UCAP-Q.

INTRODUCTION: Early detection of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease improves outcomes, yet population screening is not recommended. The Undiagnosed COPD and Asthma Population Questionnaire (UCAP-Q) is a recently validated self-administered questionnaire designed to detect individuals at risk of asthma and COPD. The purpose was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the UCAP-Q into Italian (UCAP-Q-It), French (UCAP-Q-Fr), and German (UCAP-Q-De). METHODS: Translations and cross-cultural adaptations followed a standardized 10-step process, including forward and backward translation, expert review, harmonization, and cognitive debriefing. Thirty native-speaking adults with respiratory symptoms (10 per language) assessed item comprehensibility using a 10-point scale. Feedback was used to refine wording and ensure conceptual and cultural equivalence. RESULTS: Minor linguistic adjustments were required, particularly for smoking exposure and bronchodilator use. Back translations closely matched the original questionnaire, with only one minor discrepancy identified and corrected. Comprehensibility was high across all versions, with mean scores of 9.9±0.8 (Italian), 9.7±0.8 (French), and 9.3±1.5 (German). A small number of items were revised for clarity, including the addition of explicit response anchors. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire was successfully translated and culturally adapted into Italian, French, and German, maintaining its conceptual integrity and high comprehensibility. The Swiss UCAP-Q provides healthcare professionals with a standardized, multilingual tool to support active case-finding of individuals at risk of asthma and COPD.