The Persian Long Version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire Iii – a Validation Study; [Iii مطالعه اعتبار سنجی نسخه طولانی فارسی پرسشنامه روانی اجتماعی کپنهاگن]



Eftekhari S ; Nedjat S ; Pouragha H ; Pouryaghoub G ; Aminian O ; Naserpour M ; Mehrdad R
Source: Iran Occupational Health Published:2026

Abstract

Background and aims: The third version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) was developed by the International COPSOQ Network based on feedback from users of the previous version, with the aim of providing a more comprehensive coverage of psychosocial dimensions related to modern working life. The objective of this study was the cultural and linguistic adaptation of the long version of COPSOQ III into Persian and the evaluation of its validity and reliability among the Iranian workforce. Methods: The Persian version of COPSOQ III was prepared according to the World Health Organization guideline using the forward–backward translation method. Two bilingual translators translated the English version into Persian, and the preliminary final version was prepared in an expert meeting. Subsequently, a back-translation into English was performed by two independent translators, and possible discrepancies with the original version were reviewed and corrected in an expert panel. Content validity was assessed by a group of occupational health specialists, and their recommendations were incorporated. Face validity was evaluated through pilot testing on 10 employees, and necessary modifications were applied. In the main study, the questionnaire, consisting of 148 items in 45 scales across six main domains, was administered to 110 participants (24 office employees and 86 industrial workers). To assess test–retest reliability, the questionnaire was re-administered after a two-week interval, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for each scale. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Results: Content validity assessment by the expert panel indicated that most items were acceptable in terms of relevance and clarity, and after minor revisions, the final version of the questionnaire was prepared. In face validity evaluation, most items (over 84%) were reported as completely clear by participants. All domains had Cronbach’s alpha values above 0.75, and in most scales this value was ≥0.70, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. The overall Cronbach’s alpha for the questionnaire was 0.86. In the test–retest analysis, 41 out of 45 scales showed ICC values above 0.70, confirming acceptable temporal stability of the tool. Moreover, the known-groups validity analysis demonstrated significant differences between industrial workers and office employees in several scales, supporting the discriminative ability of the questionnaire. Conclusion: The Persian long version of COPSOQ III (2018) is a valid and reliable tool, culturally adapted for the Iranian occupational context, and can be utilized in epidemiological studies, assessment of workplace psychosocial risks, and the design of evidence-based interventions. © (2026), (Iran University of Medical Sciences). All rights reserved.