Translation and validation of the voice handicap index in Hindi

Abstract

Objectives: To adapt the voice handicap index (VHI) for usage in Hindi and evaluate its internal consistency, reliability, and clinical validity in cases of dysphonia. Setting: Tertiary healthcare centers. Materials and Methods: The original VHI was translated into Hindi and was completed by 175 patients with voice disorders and 84 asymptomatic subjects. Internal consistency was analyzed through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. For test-retest reliability, the Hindi VHI was filled twice by 63 randomly selected patients and assessed through the Spearman rank correlation coefficient test. For the clinical validity assessment, the scores obtained in the pathological group were compared with those found in asymptomatic individuals through the Kruskal-Wallis test. Also, the correlation between VHI and the patients' self-perceived grade of voice disorder was assessed. Finally, the effect of age and gender on overall VHI and its three subscales was analyzed. Results: Internal consistency was found to be good (alpha = 0.95); the test-retest reliability was high (r = 0.95). Nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis analysis revealed that the control group scored significantly lower than the dysphonics. The overall VHI score positively correlated with the patients' self-perceived grade of voice disorder (r = 0.44). In the voice-disorder group, age and gender were not correlated to the overall VHI score and to their three domains. Conclusion: The Hindi VHI so developed is a valid and reliable measure for use in the Hindi-speaking population.