Reliability and validity of the Turkish voice handicap index-partner (VHI-P-TR)

Tuğba Kaya; Göksu Yılmaz; Richard I Zraick; Ahmet Konrot; Mehmet Emrah Cangi

doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2023.106380

Reliability and validity of the Turkish voice handicap index-partner (VHI-P-TR)

J Commun Disord. 2023 Nov-Dec:106:106380. doi: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2023.106380. Epub 2023 Sep 20.

Authors

Tuğba Kaya¹, Göksu Yılmaz², Richard I Zraick³, Ahmet Konrot², Mehmet Emrah Cangi⁴

Affiliations

¹ University of Health Sciences, Speech and Language Deparment, İstanbul, Türkiye. Electronic address: tugba.kaya1@sbu.edu.tr.
² Uskudar University, Speech and Language Deparment, İstanbul, Türkiye.
³ University of Central Florida, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Orlando, United States of America.
⁴ University of Health Sciences, Speech and Language Deparment, İstanbul, Türkiye.

PMID: 37738707
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2023.106380

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the Turkish validity, reliability and diagnostic performance of the Voice Handicap Index-Partner (VHI-P-TR), which is used to obtain the perceptions of communication partners of individuals with dysphonia about the functional, physical and emotional handicap resulting from the patient experiencing dysphonia.

Method: The study included 160 individuals with dysphonia and their communication partners. First, translation, back translation, expert validity and pilot study were performed in the scale adaptation process. Then, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the construct validity of the VHI-P-TR. Correlations between the VHI-P-TR and Voice Handicap Index (VHI-TR) scores of dysphonic individuals were examined to evaluate the concurrent validity of the VHI-P-TR. To assess the reliability of the VHI-P-TR, a test-retest analysis was performed, and internal consistency coefficients (α) were calculated. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to determine the cut-off point for the VHI-P scores.

Results: A high positive correlation was found between the participants' VHI-P-TR and VHI-TR total and subscales mean scores (r's > 0.782; p < 0.01). The VHI-P-TR had high internal consistency regarding for its subscales and total score (α's > 0.94; p < 0.01). Factor loadings of all VHI-P-TR items were higher than 0.30 and their error variances were lower than 0.90. In addition, factor loadings were statistically significant for all the items (p < 0.05). The data fit the model well according to all CFA indices except for GFI (scale = 0.69). An adequate sensitivity and specificity were achieved for the VHI-P-TR, and the cut-off point was found as 11.50 for the total score and ranged from 2.50 to 5.50 for the subscales.

Conclusion: The VHI-P-TR is a valid and reliable measurement tool with high diagnostic performance in all subscales and total score, and has high levels of agreement with the VHI-TR.

Keywords: Communication partner; Partner perception; Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs); Voice assesment; Voice handicap index-partner.

MeSH terms

Disability Evaluation
Dysphonia* / diagnosis
Humans
Pilot Projects
Quality of Life
Reproducibility of Results
Severity of Illness Index
Surveys and Questionnaires
Voice Disorders* / diagnosis