Validation of Arabic version of Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist ( RMBPC ).

Background: With the increase in population ageing; there is an increase in the prevalence of dementia and this will be associated with the development of behavioural and psychological symptoms which are very common and distressing to the caregivers. The most problematic symptoms associated with caregiver stress are agitation, aggression, wandering, purposeless activity, disinhibition, binge eating..etc, Revised Memory and Behavioral Checklist RMBPC is a 24 items questionnaire used to measure the frequency of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and the degree of the upset of caregivers (reaction) to these symptoms. Aim: to test the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Revised Memory and behavioural problem checklist (RMBPC).Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 100 caregivers of elderly patients previously diagnosed with dementia (moderate to severe) in community dwellings and all of them applied to fill out the Arabic version of the RMBPC questionnaire. The questionnaire was subjected to Arabic translation and the reliability and validity were tested.
Results: Arabic version of RMBPC is reliable by test re-test reliability. Alpha Cronbach and internal consistency by item-total correlation show that there were seven questions of weak correlation. So they are deleted except question 1 and question 13 because of their clinical significance. After the deletion of invalid questions, the test is valid by construct validity. Construct validity was evaluated by using Pearson's correlation coefficient showing that all subscales are strongly correlated with the total score. Construct validity by using the correlation matrix of RMBPC and other tools; Zarit, Cornell, ADL &IADL shows that RMBPC strongly correlates to Zarit and Cornell. Conclusion: The Arabic version of 19-items RMBPC is valid and reliable.