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Validation and cultural modification of Arabic voice handicap index

  • Laryngology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The voice handicap index (VHI) is one of the most widely used instruments for measuring a patient’s self-assessment of voice severity. In some ways, it reflects the patient’s quality of life. Although it has been recognized and widely applied to populations in European countries and to English speaking populations, it has not been used in its present forms in the Arabic speaking countries due to the specific language constraints of Euro-American terminology. The purposes of this study were to generate an Arabic version of VHI, to assess its reliability, and to apply it to a wide variety of normal and dysphonic individuals of Arabic descent. The Arabic version of VHI was derived in the standard way for test translation. The translated version was then administered to 65 patients with voice disorders and 65 control subjects. Participants’ responses were statistically analyzed to assess the validity, and to compare the pathological group with the control group. The Arabic VHI showed a significant high internal consistency and reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.97 and r = 0.89, respectively), high item-domain and domain-total correlation (r = 0.73–0.94). There was a statistically significant difference between the control and the voice-disordered groups (P < 0.001). The results of this study demonstrated strong internal consistency of the Arabic VHI. Thus, the Arabic version of VHI is considered to be a valid and reliable self-assessment tool for the severity of voice disorders in Arabic language speaking patients.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Research Center of Medical College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was supervised by the Research Chair of Voice and Swallowing Disorders (RCVASD), King Saud University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Communication and Swallowing Disorders Unit, ENT Department, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Saud University, P.O. Box 245, Riyadh, 11411, Saudi Arabia

    Khalid H. Malki, Tamer A. Mesallam, Mohamed Farahat & Manal Bukhari

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA

    Thomas Murry

Authors
  1. Khalid H. Malki
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  2. Tamer A. Mesallam
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  3. Mohamed Farahat
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  4. Manal Bukhari
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  5. Thomas Murry
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tamer A. Mesallam.

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Malki, K.H., Mesallam, T.A., Farahat, M. et al. Validation and cultural modification of Arabic voice handicap index. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 267, 1743–1751 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-010-1296-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-010-1296-x

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