Transcultural Adaptation and Validation of the Voice Handicap Index-10 into the Serbian Language

Abstract

Background: The Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) is used in clinics because of its validity and ease of use by patients. Objectives: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the internal consistency, reliability, and clinical validity of the Serbian version of the VHI-10. Method: In this cross-sectional study, we translated the original English version of the VHI-10 into Serbian, after which it was back-translated into English. The Serbian version of the VHI-10 was completed by 161 patients with voice disorders, divided into 4 groups according disease etiology (structural, neurological, functional, and inflammatory) and 73 healthy control subjects. Results: The VHI-10 internal consistency was 0.88. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for VHI-10 test-retest reliability was ρ = 0.991 (p < 0.001). Patients with voice disorders had higher median total VHI-10 scores compared with controls (p < 0.001). The patients' Grade, Instability, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain (GIRBAS) scale scores were significantly correlated with the VHI-10 test scores (ρ = 0,682, p < 0.001) and VHI-10 retest scores (ρ = 0.716, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The Serbian version of the VHI-10 had good validity and reliability and can be used by Serbian patients with voice disorders.

Validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the Montenegrin 10-item Voice Handicap Index

“…Our findings confirm the validity of the Montenegrin VHI-10 version in line with normative values laid down by Arffa et al ( 31 ) and is, in fact, well above its cut-off level (>11). Our results are also in agreement with findings reported for the original English version ( 18 ) and subsequent translations into, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Hebrew, Serbian, and Spanish ( 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 26 ) inasmuch as they are good instruments to distinguish between normal and abnormal voice conditions. Furthermore, the highest mean VHI-10 score in our study was found in patients with neurological voice disorders, which confirms earlier reports ( 20 , 21 , 27 ).…”

“…Furthermore, the highest mean VHI-10 score in our study was found in patients with neurological voice disorders, which confirms earlier reports ( 20 , 21 , 27 ). The strong internal consistency and excellent test-retest reliability of the Montenegrin VHI-10 also put it side by side with the Danish, Hebrew, Italian, and Serbian versions ( 21 , 24 , 26 , 27 ).…”

“…It has been validated and translated into multiple languages, including German, European Portuguese, Polish, Hebrew, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Croatian, and Serbian ( 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ). Later, the VHI-30 version was shortened by Rosen et al ( 18 ) to 10 most clinically relevant questions (VHI-10) to facilitate application for “busy clinicians”, which has been translated and/or adapted into languages such as Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Danish, Hebrew, Italian, Serbian, Spanish, and Urdu, and validated for internal consistency and test-retest reliability ( 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ). The Montenegrin translation of the original English version of VHI-10, involved a bilingual translator and a health professional who is a native Montenegrin speaker, which was then evaluated by a bilingual expert panel of three otorhinolaryngologists.…”

Cross-cultural Adaption and Validation of the Danish Voice Handicap Index

“…The VHI-10 has shown a good correlation to the results of the VHI-30 and has been thoroughly validated by internal consistency, reliability, and test-retest reliability tests [12,13]. In addition, normative values [14] and minimal important differences [15] has been established for the questionnaire and it now exists in multiple languages [16][17][18]. Thus, the VHI-10 is a well-suited clinical tool for patient self-evaluation of the severity of a voice disorder.…”