Translation and content validation of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire into Portuguese language

OBJECTIVE: The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire is a self-applied instrument for adolescents and adults to assess childhood abuse. The objective was to translate, adapt and validate the questionnaire content into a Portuguese language version called Questionario sobre Traumas na Infancia. METHODS: The translation and adaptation into Portuguese was carried out in five steps: (1) translation; (2) back translation; (3) correction and semantic adaptation; (4) content validation by professional experts (judges); and (5) a final critical assessment by the target population using a verbal rating scale. RESULTS: The translated and adapted 28-item Portuguese version of the scale and instructions produced an instrument called Questionario sobre Traumas na Infancia. In the assessment by the target population, 32 adult users of the Brazilian Unified Health System answered the questionnaire and showed good understanding of the instrument (mean=4.86 +/- 0.27) in the verbal rating scale. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire's Portuguese version proved to be easily understandable showing good semantic validation. Nevertheless, further studies should address other psychometric characteristics of this instrument.