title: Voice handicap index in Swedish.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate a Swedish version of the voice handicap index questionnaire (Sw-VHI). A total of 57 adult, dysphonic patients and 15 healthy controls completed the Sw-VHI and rated the degree of vocal fatigue and hoarseness on visual analogue scales. A perceptual voice evaluation was also performed. Test-retest reliability was analyzed in 38 subjects without voice complaints. Sw-VHI distinguished between dysphonic subjects and controls (P<0.001). The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.84) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.75) were good. Only moderate or weak correlations were found between Sw-VHI and the subjective and perceptual voice ratings. The data indicate that a difference above 13 points for the total Sw-VHI score and above 6 points for the Sw-VHI subscales is significant for an individual when comparing two different occasions. In conclusion, the Sw-VHI appears to be a robust instrument for assessment of the psycho-social impact of a voice disorder. However, Sw-VHI seems to, at least partly, capture different aspects of voice function to the subjective voice ratings and the perceptual voice evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Logopedics and Phoniatrics, ENT Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden. ann-christine.ohlsson@medfak.gu.se
authors.forename: Ann-Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dotevall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006685:Hoarseness; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014831:Voice; D055815:Young Adult