Introduction: The Voice Handicap Index (VHI), which is widely used worldwide to evaluate the self-reports of individuals with voice disorders, has been translated into many languages, and reliability and validity studies have been conducted. Although the VHI-10 is the most frequently used self-report tool for research, clinical, and screening purposes in Turkey, the cutoff score for VHI-10 in Turkish is unknown. In this context, this study aimed to determine the cutoff score of the Turkish version of the VHI-10 (TVHI-10).
Methods: This study included 197 participants with voice disorders and 226 healthy individuals with normal voices. The dysphonic group had an average age of 39.13 ± 14.7, and the healthy group had an average age of 36.58 ± 13.9. Participants diagnosed with a voice disorder by an ear, nose, and throat specialist were included in the dysphonic group, and participants with a GRBAS score of zero after being evaluated by a speech and language therapist were included in the healthy group. All participants answered the TVHI-10 without assistance.
Results: A cutoff score of 7.5 on the TVHI-10 yielded a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 93%, with an AUC of 0.963 (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: A thorough review of the literature shows that the VHI-10 cutoff score varies according to language. Therefore, it is important to determine specific cutoff scores for each VHI-10, which have been adapted to and validated in different cultures. This study recommends that the cutoff score determined for the Turkish VHI-10 be used in clinical decision-making and research design processes.
Keywords: Dysphonia; Receiver operating characteristic analysis; Self-reported questionnaires; Voice Handicap Index; Voice Handicap Index-10.
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