Reliability and Validity of the Persian Nose Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) Scale.

Background: The nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) scale is a valid and specific questionnaire for evaluating nasal obstruction. The present study aimed to assess the validity of the Persian version of the NOSE questionnaire.

Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted from December 2018 to April 2019. In the study group, eligible individuals referred to one clinic and Firoozgar Hospital, Tehran, Iran (a tertiary referral center) were asked to complete the questionnaire once on the first visit and once 3 months after the surgery. In the control group, healthy adults (above 18 years old) were selected among staff, students, residents, or relatives of the project executors. The NOSE questionnaire has 5 questions and a quality chart. The results were compared with the short form of the 12-item GHQ-12 questionnaire that had previously been translated and validated. SPSS 20 software was used to calculate Cronbach's alpha and intra-class correlation coefficient and to examine the convergent and discriminative validities.

Results: The results obtained are consistent with the results of the primary research when developing the questionnaire and the results of studies conducted with different versions of the questionnaire in different languages and cultures. Analysis of research data showed that the Persian version of the NOSE questionnaire has acceptable internal consistency, repeatability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.

Conclusion: The Persian version of the NOSE questionnaire has good validity and reliability.