Slovak Translation and Cross-Cultural Validation of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT10 (R))

Introduction: The objective of the study was the language adaptation and verification of psychometric properties of the Slovak version of the EAT10 (R) questionnaire. Methods: The original English version of the questionnaire was translated into the Slovak language. The research group included 136 control participants and 51 dysphagic patients. Test-retest reliability, item analysis, internal consistency, construct and clinical validity, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed to verify the psychometric properties of the Slovak EAT10 (R). Results: The internal consistency assessed with Cronbach's alpha is excellent (alpha = 0.94). Statistical analysis of the Slovak version of EAT10 (R) showed excellent reliability (0.91, p < 0.001) in the test-retest. Through item-to-total correlation, we found out that all items significantly correlated with the overall score in EAT10 (R). Factor analysis proved a high construct validity. The EAT10 (R) questionnaire was able to reveal a latent variable: a swallowing disorder, which was affecting a group of patients. The clinical validity results confirmed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the control and dysphagic groups (z = -10.30; p < 0.001). By dividing the dysphagic group into four subgroups (Head and Neck Cancer, Extraesophageal Reflux, Iatrogenic, and Neurological) there were nonsignificant differences in the mean scores of the subgroups. The cut-off value for the Slovak EAT10 (R) is three points. Conclusion: The Slovak EAT10 (R) is a valid and reliable tool designed for the subjective assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients.