[Development and evaluation of a simplified Chinese version of the visually induced motion sickness susceptibility questionnaire].

Abstract

Objective: To simplify the Chinese version of the Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (VIMSSQ), develop the simplified Chinese version of VIMSSQ, and evaluate its performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2023. The Chinese version of the VIMSSQ was distributed to 783 university students at North China University of Science and Technology. Items were selected on the basis of their coverage rates, item-total correlation coefficients, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and factor loadings, resulting in the simplified Chinese VIMSSQ. Eighty participants from the initial cohort were recruited to complete a virtual reality (VR) black-and-white checkerboard visual stimulation test, the simplified Chinese VIMSSQ, and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion validity, and discriminative ability of the simplified Chinese VIMSSQ were evaluated. Results: A total of 757 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective response rate of 96.68% (757/783). Among the 757 participants, 205 were male and 552 were female, with a median age (Q₁, Q₃) of 19 (18, 20) years. Smartphone usage showed the highest coverage rate [99.60% (754/757)]. The simplified Chinese VIMSSQ included three items, with the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.909, the test-retest reliability of 0.908, and the criterion validity of 0.899. SSQ symptom scores were lower in mildly susceptible participants compared to moderately susceptible participants [30 (15, 63) vs 77 (53, 105), P=0.012], and significantly lower in moderately susceptible participants compared to severely susceptible participants [77 (53, 105) vs 137 (94, 164), P<0.001]. Conclusion: The simplified Chinese VIMSSQ demonstrates good reliability, validity, and discriminative ability.