The use of translated materials in assessing CVA patients in Qatar - Problems and solutions

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Dipper

In Qatar and other Arabic-speaking contexts, assessing CVA (stroke) patients with language deficits often relies on surveys and questionnaires translated into Arabic from English. The paper explains that translated materials are widely used mainly because locally developed assessment tools for Arabic language and culture are unavailable, yet their shortcomings are insufficiently recognized. Many translations do not fit local context and can affect patients’ lives after CVA, so the study proposes a multiphase solution to reduce these problems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Aphasia and CVA risk factors

Relevant studies in Qatar

Assessment context and challenges

Role of translated tools

The use of translated materials in assessing CVA patients in Qatar: Problems and solutions Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics e-ISSN 2490-4198 Vol. 4, No. 1, May 2019, 38-49 © The Authors [http://www.arjals.com](http://www.arjals.com) Tariq Khwaileh1 and Michael Grosvald Department of English Literature and Linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University Abstract In Qatar, as well as in other parts of the Arabic-speaking world, assessment of patients who have suffered CVAs or other injuries leading to language deficits typically includes the use of surveys and questionnaires that have been translated into Arabic, generally from English. Such materials are used to assess the impact of the CVA on language, communication, quality of life, and social activities. The use of translated materials is common-place because assessment materials specifically developed for the Arabic language and culture are unavailable. The shortcomings of translated materials have not been widely recognized. Unfortunately, the simple truth is that many of these translated materials are unsuited for use in the local context, and this can have a significant impact on the lives of patients post-CVA. In this paper, we discuss this issue in some detail and propose a multiphase solution to mitigate the problems of using translated materials. Keywords: CVA, aphasia, survey, questionnaire, translation, culture, Arabic. 1 Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Tariq Khwaileh, Department of English Literature and Linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar. Tel: +974 4403-4912, Fax: +974 4403-4901, E-mail: [tariq.khwaileh@qu.edu.qa](tariq.khwaileh@qu.edu.qa) Background CVAs (cerebrovascular accidents) are generally considered to be the most frequent cause of aphasia (language impairment), a result of lesions to areas of the brain involved in language processing. Aphasia can also be the result of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or certain progressive illnesses (Parr, Pound, Byng & Long, 1999) . Although accurate statistics on the prevalence of aphasia in Qatar are lacking, data from other countries in the Gulf region indicate that the rate is likely to be in the vicinity of 0.36% . Hypertension is a key risk factor for CVA, and is implicated in approximately 50% of all CVAs. About 85% of CVAs are the result of a blockage and are referred to as ischemic, while about 15% are due to bleeding in the brain and are called hemorrhagic. A third of CVAs result in aphasia (Stroke Association, 2018) . While relatively little research on CVAs has been carried out in the Arabic-speaking world, there are two such studies that are particularly relevant to this discussion. The first of these is an investigation of 270 CVA patients conducted by Khan and colleagues (2008) . Of these patients, 53 (19.6%) had had a hemorrhagic CVA and 217 (80.4%) had had an ischemic CVA. A majority of these patients were male, and for the group as a whole, the primary preventable risk factors for CVA were hypertension and diabetes. A majority of these individuals did not arrive at the hospital until more than three hours had elapsed since the onset of their CVAs. These delays appear to have been generally due to a lack of understanding of the nature of these individuals’ symptoms. In another study carried out in Qatar, Christos and colleagues (2013) investigated 262 CVA cases. The data showed that more than half of these CVA patients were under 55 years old, and that 7% of them were under 40. The investigators found that 30% of the patients could be classified as obese, and another 40% of them were overweight. Most patients were male, and a quarter of them had Qatari nationality. Of the Qatari nationals, key preventable risk factors included diabetes, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol, and tobacco consumption. It was also found that for the group as a whole, insufficient physical exercise increased th

FAQs

Why are translated surveys and questionnaires commonly used in Qatar to assess CVA patients?

They are used because assessment materials specifically developed for the Arabic language and culture are generally unavailable, so translated tools from English are adopted.

What problems can arise from using translated assessment materials in the local context?

Many translated materials are not well suited to the local context, which can significantly affect patients’ lives after CVA.

What solution does the paper propose to address these translation-related assessment issues?

The paper proposes a multiphase solution to mitigate problems caused by using translated materials for assessment.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Dipper