[Validation of the German version of the Voice Handicap Index].
The voice handicap index (VHI) was developed in the United States for subjective evaluation of a voice disturbance by the patient. The translation into German has been applied for a German population of patients. It was validated by the examination of 316 adult patients, 221 female and 95 male. The reliability of the VHI rests on a high Cronbach's alpha (0.96). A factor analysis in order to structure the items yields four factors that can be interpreted as negative voice experience (factor 1-explaining 20.83% of the variance after rotation), lack of assertiveness (factor 2-18.82%), lack of vocal power (factor 3-12.84%), and negative emotionality (factor 4-11.01%). The mean VHI scores differ significantly from each other in different degrees of voice disturbance as estimated by the patients themselves. The voice handicap index is qualified as a diagnostic tool for German-speaking countries.
Nawka
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T
Abteilung Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, Klinik für HNO-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Greifswald. nawka@uni-greifswald.de
Wiesmann
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U
Gonnermann
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology