Screening for Voice Disorders in Older Adults (Rastreamento de Alterações Vocais em Idosos—RAVI)—Part II: Validity Evidence and Reliability

Abstract

To determine the validity evidence based on the internal structure and relations to other variables and the reliability of an epidemiologic questionnaire for screening older adults with voice disorders. This is a prospective, nonrandomized, cross-sectional, validation study. To assess the validity evidence based on the internal structure, 160 older adults of both sexes, either community-dwelling or institutionalized, completed the "Rastreamento de Alterações Vocais em Idosos" (RAVI; "Screening for Voice Disorders in Older Adults"). The data were analyzed using item-total and interitem correlations, principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and differential item functioning. For validity evidence based on relations to other variables, measures of concurrent and discriminant validity were calculated according to the self-reported number of factors associated with voice disorders. Reliability was assessed using a test-retest procedure conducted with 121 older adults with the same characteristics as the previous sample. In this stage, the reproducibility, internal consistency, and measurement error of the instrument were analyzed. The RAVI showed adequate validity evidence based on the internal structure and relations to other variables, as well as good reliability. This indicates that the results produced by the instrument are valid and reliable. The RAVI is a self-reported outcome questionnaire that yields valid and reliable responses for epidemiologic detection of voice disorders in older adults and can be easily administered by any health care provider. Further ongoing studies will assess accuracy measures and cutoff values of the RAVI.