PURPOSE: This paper describes the process of developing and validating a questionnaire to investigate self-reported health and care needs of elders in Iran and Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Both developing and developed countries face dilemmas under the current condition of increasing mental and physical health morbidity globally. In order to fully assess and understand the extent of these dilemmas and the global and local factors that alleviate or worsen them, a comparison of the self-reported health and care needs in a developed and a developing country is required. To these ends, two research teams within a joint international project worked together to construct a questionnaire to measure self-reported health in elders in Sweden and Iran.

METHODS: The questionnaire was developed according to a multiphase process, during which the researchers tested the validity and reliability of the questionnaire using various methods and modified it based on the test results. First, the concepts to be used were agreed upon and a literature review was conducted. Thereafter, face and content validity was measured in Iran, looking at the initial items that were developed. The questionnaire was then translated and back-translated. Finally, both teams conducted a test of content validity using target groups in Iran and Sweden, respectively.

RESULTS: Validity was established by testing face and content validity with the use of expert groups. Reliability was also determined according to two different dimensions, stability and internal consistency. Both methods gave satisfactory results, indicating that the instrument was reliable.

CONCLUSION: The questionnaire was thereby developed and titled, 'Self-reported health and health-care needs'. The results confirm validity and reliability of the final version of the questionnaire.