Abstract
In this study a Norwegian cross-cultural adaptation of the RRTW scale (long version) is conducted. The RRTW scale is a questionnaire aimed at individuals outside work due to injury or illness, identifying their stage of readiness for returning to work. The questionnaire was originally developed and validated in Canada with the goal of tailoring return to work interventions. The cross-cultural adaptation included four stages of translation which established a pre-final Norwegian version of the questionnaire. This version was tested within the Norwegian target population. Participants from a four week inpatient occupational rehabilitation program completed the questionnaire and participated in one of two pretests. 73 participants completed the initial pretest of focus-group interviews identifying issues regarding understanding and answering of the questionnaire. 16 participants completed the extended pretest of in-depth interviews investigating aspects of answering the questionnaire in the Norwegian setting. All the results from the procedure were analyzed and a finalized Norwegian adaptation was established along with recommendations for use within the Norwegian setting. It was concluded that the Norwegian adaptation had satisfactory semantic equivalence to the original questionnaire. This study further supports Research suggesting that different stage structures of RRTW found in Norway and Canada can be explained by culture and patient setting.