Translation and Validation of the Vitiligo Impact Scale

Vitiligo an autoimmune chronic skin condition significantly impacts an individual’s quality of life. Appearance related conditions can lead to stigma, and social withdrawal, associated with anxiety, depression, and body image dissatisfaction, influencing relationships, work performance, and overall psychological well-being. The present study aimed to undertake the translation and validation of the Vitiligo Impact Scale (VIS-22), a standardized tool designed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of individuals with vitiligo (Gupta et al., 2014). The translated scale was validated on Pakistani population (N =270) with a mean age of M=28.4, SD=8.77. Translation procedure followed the MAPPI guidelines. Criterion validation including convergent or construct validity and group known validity were assessed. A high reliability coefficients of .83 was found. Results revealed strong psychometric properties of the translated Urdu version of VIS-22 which align with previous studies. These findings imply that the Urdu version of VIS-22 appears to be a valid standardized tool that can be used for evaluating psychosocial impact of vitiligo, offering healthcare professionals a robust tool for patient-centered care and treatment planning for Pakistani population.