2025 Volume 39 Issue 2 Pages 338-346
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to develop a linguistically valid Japanese version of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy (LMUP), a screening tool for assessing unplanned pregnancy.
Methods
The Japanese version of the LMUP was prepared through the following stages: (1) Forward translation into Japanese by two researchers; (2) Researcher consultation and integration of forward translation; (3) Back translation into English by two researchers; (4) Researcher consultation (creation of a tentative Japanese version); and (5) Reexamination.
Results
In the process of creating the Japanese version of the LMUP, the version was finalized after linguistic validity was examined in the fifth stage, which consisted of researcher consultation and review with the author who developed the original LMUP questionnaire. The main points that required consideration in the translation process included the minimization of differences in meaning and nuances between the two languages as perceived by respondents due to varying temporal perspectives, such as “In the month that I became pregnant” and “Just before I became pregnant.”
Conclusion
Through a formalized translation process, a linguistically valid Japanese version of the LMUP was developed. The next steps will be to pilot test the translated version and perform an assessment of reliability and validity.
