Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and reliability of the german version of the dizziness handicap inventory.
OBJECTIVE
To translate the Dizziness Handicap Inventory into German (DHI-G) and investigate reliability, assess the association between selected items of the University of California Los Angeles Dizziness Questionnaire and the DHI-G, and compare the scores of patients and healthy participants.


METHODS
Cross-sectional design.


METHODS
Tertiary center for vertigo, dizziness, or balance disorders.


METHODS
One hundred forty-one patients with vertigo, dizziness, and unsteadiness associated with a vestibular disorder, with a mean age (standard deviation) of 51.5 (13.2) years, and 52 healthy individuals participated.


METHODS
Fourteen patients participated in the cognitive debriefing; 127 patients completed the questionnaires once or twice within 1 week.


METHODS
The DHI-G assesses disability caused by dizziness and unsteadiness; the items of the University of California Los Angeles Dizziness Questionnaire assess dizziness and impact on everyday activities. Internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach alpha, reproducibility by calculating Bland-Altman limits of agreement and intraclass correlation coefficients. Associations were estimated by Spearman correlation coefficients.


RESULTS
Patients filled out the DHI-G without problem and found that their self-perceived disabilities were mostly included. Cronbach alpha values for the DHI-G and the functional, physical, and emotional subscales were 0.90, 0.80, 0.71, and 0.82, respectively. The limits of agreement were +/-12.4 points for the total scale (maximum, 100 points). Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.90 to 0.95. The DHI-G correlated moderately with the question assessing functional disability (0.56) and fairly with the questions quantifying dizziness (0.43, 0.35). The DHI-G discriminated significantly between healthy participants and patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The DHI-G demonstrated good reliability and is recommended as a measure of disability in patients with dizziness and unsteadiness.
Kurre
Annette
A
Department of Rheumatology and Institute of Physical Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. Annette.Kurre@usz.ch
van Gool
Christel J A W
CJ
Bastiaenen
Caroline H G
CH
Gloor-Juzi
Thomas
T
Straumann
Dominik
D
de Bruin
Eling D
ED
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult