Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Arabic Version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale for Parents.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to translate into Arabic and culturally adapt the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale for parents (SSQ-P). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted over a 10-month period from February to November 2021. Translation of the SSQ-P into Arabic was performed using the forward-backward translation methodology, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Parents of 130 Arabic children aged 5-11 years with normal hearing were asked to complete the Arabic adaptation of the SSQ-P. RESULTS: The SSQ-P was successfully translated and cross-culturally adapted into Arabic with only a few changes to ensure the comprehensibility and cultural appropriateness of the Arabic version. All parents returned the Arabic SSQ-P, with no missing data. The Arabic SSQ-P showed high internal consistency, with the Cronbach's alpha of approximately 0.91. The intraclass correlation coefficient of the individual items and total SSQ-P score was 0.90, indicating high reliability (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Arabic translation and cultural adaptation of the SSQ-P is currently available. Further studies are needed to assess test-retest reliability and discriminant validity of the Arabic SSQ-P to better understand its usefulness and applicability.

A Cytological Study of Oral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection Among Electronic Cigarette Smokers in Al-Madinah Al-Munawara.

Objective This study aims to determine how electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use contributes to the spread of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and to assess the potential cellular proliferative activity it may produce. Methodology In Madinah, a case-control study was conducted between October 2022 and March 2023. Two oral cytologic smear samples were collected from each of the 500 volunteers; 250 consumers of electronic cigarettes and 250 non-smokers each provided two samples. To detect cytological changes and HPV infection, these samples were stained using Papanicolaou and immunocytochemical techniques. Results Twelve (4.8%) of the electronic cigarettes exhibited cytological atypia, while only one (0.4%) of the nonsmokers' group did. Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) was detected in eight (3.2%) of the e-cigarette users, but it was only found in two (0.8%) of the nonsmokers (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion Electronic cigarette smoking increases the likelihood of contracting HPV and developing cytological atypia, both of which, if left untreated, can contribute to the development of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the mouth.