Slovak Translation and Cross-Cultural Validation of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT10(®))

Introduction: The objective of the study was the language adaptation and verification of psychometric properties of the Slovak version of the EAT10(®) questionnaire. Methods: The original English version of the questionnaire was translated into the Slovak language. The research group included 136 control participants and 51 dysphagic patients. Test–retest reliability, item analysis, internal consistency, construct and clinical validity, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed to verify the psychometric properties of the Slovak EAT10(®). Results: The internal consistency assessed with Cronbach’s alpha is excellent (α = 0.94). Statistical analysis of the Slovak version of EAT10(®) showed excellent reliability (0.91, p < 0.001) in the test–retest. Through item-to-total correlation, we found out that all items significantly correlated with the overall score in EAT10(®). Factor analysis proved a high construct validity. The EAT10(®) questionnaire was able to reveal a latent variable: a swallowing disorder, which was affecting a group of patients. The clinical validity results confirmed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the control and dysphagic groups (z = −10.30; p < 0.001). By dividing the dysphagic group into four subgroups (Head and Neck Cancer, Extraesophageal Reflux, Iatrogenic, and Neurological) there were nonsignificant differences in the mean scores of the subgroups. The cut-off value for the Slovak EAT10(®) is three points. Conclusion: The Slovak EAT10(®) is a valid and reliable tool designed for the subjective assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients.