Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Validation of the Arabic Current Opioid Misuse Measure for Sickle Cell Disease Patients

Purpose To translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM-A) among Arabic-speaking patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Design Cross-sectional psychometric validation study. Methods The COMM was translated and culturally adapted according to established guidelines, including forward translation, synthesis, back translation, expert review, and pre-testing. A convenience sample of 169 Arabic-speaking adults with SCD was recruited from two hospitals in Oman. Structural validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and test-retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results Exploratory factor analysis identified a four-factor structure accounting for 59.15% of the total variance. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.862, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (p < .001), supporting factorability. The COMM-A demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89), with subscale alpha coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.83. Test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.90–0.96). Conclusions The COMM-A is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing opioid misuse among Arabic-speaking patients with SCD. The identified four-factor structure supports the multidimensional nature of opioid misuse behaviors in this population. Clinical Implications The COMM-A provides pain management nurses with a culturally appropriate tool for screening and monitoring opioid misuse, facilitating early identification of at-risk patients and supporting safer opioid management in Arabic-speaking populations.