Background: The effect of health status on productivity has widely been studied and discussed in literature. Valid and reliable tools are needed to evaluate the levels of health and productivity and provide detailed information, before any intervention is implemented. World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) is a widely used instrument in estimating the workplace costs of health problems in terms of reduced job performance, sickness absence, and work-related accidents and injuries.

Objective: To assess the reliability and validity of Persian version of HPQ in Iranian health care workers.

Methods: The questionnaire was translated to Persian and back translated. 102 health care workers completed the questionnaire. Absence and sick-leave data was extracted from administrative records.

Results: Factor analysis revealed acceptable validity for the questionnaire in part A (health). Cronbach's alpha was >0.73 for all scales of Parts B (work) and C (demographic). Questions targeting days of absence and sick-leave had acceptable correlation with administrative records (Pearson's r >0.75), while questions on total hours worked showed lower correlation.

Conclusion: Persian version of HPQ can be considered a reliable and valid tool in Iranian health workers.